it, then, for it's a fact,"
returned Mary, with a laugh.

"But how do they mean to go about it?" asked Sparks, with an unbelieving
expression of countenance.

"Well, I ain't quite sure about that," replied Mary; "they say that the
doctor cuts a hole in a vein of the arms of both men, and puts a pipe,
or something of that sort, into the two veins, and so lets the blood run
from the one man into the other. I don't half believe it myself, to say
truth; but it's quite true that they're goin' to try it on Ned. The
doctor says it has bin tried before with great success, and that the
main thing is to get a stout, healthy young man to take the blood from.
They thought, at first, to get a healthy youth from the country, but my
Joe begged so hard to let him supply his friend and comrade, with what
they wanted, that they agreed, and now he's off to have it done. Ain't
it funny?"

"Funny!" exclaimed Sparks, "well, it is, just. But I'm not such a fool
as to believe that they can pump the blood out o' one man into another
in that fashion."

"I hope they can for poor Ned's sake," said Mary, in a sad tone, as she
stirred a large pot which stood simmering on the fire.

There was a short silence after that, for Mary was thinking of the
strange operation that was probably going on at that moment, and Phil
Sparks was debating with himself as to the propriety of attempting to
induce Mrs Dashwood to lend him a shilling or two. He could not easily
make up his mind, however; not because he was ashamed to ask it, but,
because he was afraid of receiving a rebuke from the pretty little
woman. He knew that she and Martha Reading were intimate friends, and
he had a suspicion that Mrs Dashwood was aware of Martha's fondness for
him, and that she bore him no good will in consequence. Besides,
although one of the sweetest tempered women in London, Mary was one
whose indignation could be roused, and whose clear blue eye had
something overawing in it, especially to scoundrels. He therefore sat
there more than an hour, conversing on various subjects, while Mary
busied herself in household matters; which she occasionally left off in
order to assist in extinguishing the fire in the cupboard!

At last Sparks resolved to make the attempt, and thought he would begin
by trying to propitiate Mary by commenting on her child.

"That's a pretty little girl of yours, missis," he remarked in a casual
way.

"That she is," cried Mary, catching up th