xt morning,
made his way before night to Boroughbridge. Passing through that town in
search of some cheap resting-place, he stumbled upon an empty barn within
a couple of hundred yards of the road side; in a warm corner of which he
stretched his weary limbs, and soon fell asleep.

When he awoke next morning, and tried to recollect his dreams, which had
been all connected with his recent sojourn at Dotheboys Hall, he sat up,
rubbed his eyes, and stared--not with the most composed countenance
possible--at some motionless object which seemed to be stationed within a
few yards in front of him.

"Strange!" cried Nicholas, "can this be some lingering creation of the
visions that have scarcely left me? It cannot be real--and yet I--I am
awake! Smike!"

The form moved, rose, advanced, and dropped upon its knees at his feet. It
was Smike indeed.

"Why do you kneel to me?" said Nicholas, hastily raising him.

"To go with you--anywhere--everywhere--to the world's end--to the
churchyard grave," replied Smike, clinging to his hand. "Let me, oh, do
let me. You are my home--my kind friend--take me with you, pray."

I am a friend who can do "little for you," said Nicholas, kindly. "How
came you here?"

He had followed him, it seemed; had never lost sight of him all the way;
had watched while he slept, and when he halted for refreshment; and had
feared to appear before, lest he should be sent back. He had not intended
to appear now, but Nicholas had awakened more suddenly than he looked for,
and he had had no time to conceal himself.

"Poor fellow!" said Nicholas, "your hard fate denies you any friend but
one, and he is nearly as poor and helpless as yourself."

"May I--may I go with you?" asked Smike timidly. "I will be your faithful
hard-working servant, I will, indeed. I want no clothes," added the poor
creature, drawing his rags together; "these will do very well. I only want
to be near you."

"And you shall!" cried Nicholas. "The world shall deal by you as it does
by me, till one or both of us shall quit it for a better. Come!"

With these words, he strapped his burden on his shoulders, and, taking his
stick in one hand, extended the other to his delighted charge; and so they
passed out of the old barn together, out from the nightmare of life at
Dotheboys Hall, into the busy world outside.

* * * * *

Some years later, when Mr. Squeers was making one of his customary
semi-annual visits