burden; "but I say, Mrs
Nash, can't you do something for him? Look at him!"

Mrs Nash was a woman, and whatever her private opinion on the matter
generally may have been; she could not resist this appeal. She took the
little fellow out of Jack's arms, and carried him away to her own
kitchen, where, after sponging his bruised face and forehead, and giving
him a drop of something in a teaspoon, and brushing back his matted hair
and loosing his ragged jacket at the neck, she succeeded in restoring
him to his senses. It was with a thrill of relief that we saw his eyes
open and a shade of colour come into his grimy cheeks.

"What have you been doing to him?" said Mrs Nash.

"He was being knocked about," said Jack, modestly, "and Batchelor and I
got him away."

"And what are you going to do with him?" inquired Mrs Nash, who, now
that her feminine offices were at an end, was fast regaining her old
crabbedness.

"He'd better go to bed," said Smith. "I'll have him in my bed."

"No, you won't!" said Mrs Nash, decisively.

"We can't turn him out at this time of night," said I.

"Can't help that. He don't sleep here, the dirty little wretch."

"He'll be murdered if he goes back," said Jack.

"That's no reason I should have my house made not fit to live in," said
Mrs Nash.

"He won't do any harm, I'll see to that," said Smith, rising and taking
the boy up in his arms.

"I tell you I ain't going to allow it," said Mrs Nash.

But Jack without another word carried off his burden, and we heard his
footsteps go slowly up the stairs to the bedroom. I stayed for some
little time endeavouring to appease Mrs Nash, but without much effect.
She abandoned her first idea of rushing out and defending the
cleanliness of her house by force of arms, but in place of that relieved
herself in very strong language on the subject of Jack Smith generally,
and of me in aiding and abetting him, and ended by announcing that she
gave us both warning, and we might look-out for somebody else to stand
our impudence (she called it "imperence"), for _she_ wouldn't.

When I went up stairs Jack and his small _protege_ were in bed and
asleep. I was quite startled when I caught sight of their two heads
side by side on the pillow. It looked for all the world like a big Jack
and a little Jack.

"Wouldn't Jack be flattered if I told him so!" thought I.

I was not long in following their example. All night long I dreamt of
Flanagan and that dr