great enemy, the law. Besides, a deeper though not immediate plan
of revenge flashed into his mind. Relaxing the hand and frown
simultaneously, he held out the former.

"Come," he said, in a hearty tone, "I don't bear you no ill-will for the
crack on the nut you gave me, and you've surely no occasion to bear
ill-will to a man you floored so neatly. Shake hands."

The familiarity, not to say insolence, of this proposal, from one so
much beneath him, would probably have induced the youth to turn aside
with scorn, but the flattering reference to his pugilistic powers from
one who was no mean antagonist softened his feelings.

"Well, I'm sure that I bear _you_ no ill-will," he said, with a smile,
extending his hand.

"Bah! chicken-livers," exclaimed the small boy, turning away in supreme
contempt.

"And I assure you," continued Aspel, "I had no intention of doing you
injury. But no doubt a stout fellow like you didn't let a knock-down
blow interfere with his next day's work."

"His next day's work!" repeated Mr Bones, with a chuckle. "It would be
a queer blow as would interfere with my work. Why, guv'nor, I hain't
got no work at all" Here he put on a very lugubrious expression.
"P'r'aps you won't believe it, sir, but I do assure you that I haven't,
in them hard times, had a full day's work for ever so long. And I
haven't earned a rap this day, except the penny I got for postin' this
here letter."

George Aspel, besides being, as we have said, a kind-hearted man, was
unusually ignorant of the ways of the world, especially the world of
London. He believed Abel Bones at once, and spoke in quite a softened,
friendly tone as he replied--

"I'm sorry to hear that, and would gladly help you if I could, but, to
tell you the truth, Mr Bones, I'm not in flourishing circumstances
myself. Still, I may perhaps think of some way of helping you. Post
your letter, and I'll walk with you while we talk over it."

The man ran up the steps, posted his letter, which had missed the mail--
though he did not appear to care for that--and returned.

Although we have spoken of this man as a confirmed drunkard, it must not
be supposed that he had reached the lowest state of degradation. Like
George Aspel, he had descended from a higher level in the social scale.
Of course, his language proved that he had never been in the rank of a
gentleman, but in manners and appearance he was much above the unhappy
outcasts amongst whom he dw