ned brimming at
Richard's lips again! Alas, poor human nature! that empties to the dregs
a dozen of these evil drinks, to evade the single one which Destiny,
less cruel, had insisted upon.

The boy blinked and tossed it off.

"I came to say that I regretted the revenge I had taken on you for your
striking me."

Farmer Blaize nodded.

"And now ye've done, young gentleman?"

Still another cupful!

"I should be very much obliged," Richard formally began, but his stomach
was turned; he could but sip and sip, and gather a distaste which
threatened to make the penitential act impossible. "Very much obliged,"
he repeated: "much obliged, if you would be so kind," and it struck him
that had he spoken this at first he would have given it a wording
more persuasive with the farmer and more worthy of his own pride: more
honest, in fact: for a sense of the dishonesty of what he was saying
caused him to cringe and simulate humility to deceive the farmer, and
the more he said the less he felt his words, and, feeling them less, he
inflated them more. "So kind," he stammered, "so kind" (fancy a Feverel
asking this big brute to be so kind!) "as to do me the favour" (me the
favour!) "to exert yourself" (it's all to please Austin) "to endeavour
to--hem! to" (there's no saying it!)--

The cup was full as ever. Richard dashed at it again.

"What I came to ask is, whether you would have the kindness to try what
you could do" (what an infamous shame to have to beg like this!) "do to
save--do to ensure--whether you would have the kindness" It seemed
out of all human power to gulp it down. The draught grew more and
more abhorrent. To proclaim one's iniquity, to apologize for one's
wrongdoing; thus much could be done; but to beg a favour of the offended
party--that was beyond the self-abasement any Feverel could consent to.
Pride, however, whose inevitable battle is against itself, drew aside
the curtains of poor Tom's prison, crying a second time, "Behold your
Benefactor!" and, with the words burning in his ears, Richard swallowed
the dose:

"Well, then, I want you, Mr. Blaize,--if you don't mind--will you help
me to get this man Bakewell off his punishment?"

To do Farmer Blaize justice, he waited very patiently for the boy,
though he could not quite see why he did not take the gate at the first
offer.

"Oh!" said he, when he heard and had pondered on the request. "Hum! ha!
we'll see about it t'morrow. But if he's innocent, you kn