much gratified by the unusually courteous of the young ladies that he was quite regardless for the moment of martin who stood leaning thoughtfully against the finger post and who after of his fair charge had hardly lifted his eyes from the ground the perfect silence which ensued upon the bustle and departure of the coach together with ttie sharp air of the wintry afternoon roused them both at the same time they turned as by mutual consent and moved off arm in arm how melancholy you are said tom what is the matter nothing worth speaking of said martin very little more than was the matter yesterday and much more i hope than will be the matter to morrow i m out of spirits pinch well cried tom now do you know i am in capital spirits to day and scarcely ever felt more disposed to be good company it was a very kind thing in your john to write to me was it not why yes said martin carelessly i should have thought he would have had enough to do to enjoy himself without thinking of you pinch just what i felt to be so very likely tom rejoined but no he keeps his word and says my dear pinch i often think of you and all sorts of kind and considerate things of that description he must be a devilish good natured said martin somewhat because he can t mean that you know i don t suppose he can eh said tom looking wistfully in his companion s face he says so to please me you think why is it likely rejoined martin with greater earnestness that a yoimg man newly escaped from this of a place and to all the delights of being his own master in london can have much leisure or inclination to think of anything or anybody he has left behind him here i put it to you pinch is it natural after a short reflection mr pinch replied in a more subdued tone that to be sure it was unreasonable to e q any such thing and that he had no doubt martin knew best martin of course i know best martin observed yes i feel that said mr pinch mildly i said so and when he had made this they fell into a blank silence again which lasted they reached home by which time it was dark now miss charity in consideration of the inconvenience of carrying them with her in the coach and the impossibility of preserving them by artificial means until the family s return had set forth in a couple of plates the fragments of yesterday s feast in virtue of which liberal arrangement they had the happiness to find awaiting them in the parlour two heaps of the remains of last night s pleasure consisting of certain bits of some various masses of the cake and several entire captain s that choice liquor in which to steep might not be wanting the remains of the two bottles of wine had been poured together and with a curl paper so that every material was at hand for making quite a heavy night of it martin beheld these preparations with infinite contempt and stirring the fire into a blaze to the great destruction of mr s coals sat down before it in the most comfortable chair he could find that he might the better squeeze himself into the small comer that was left for him mr pinch took up his position on miss mercy s stool and setting his glass down upon the hearth rug and putting his plate upon his knees began to enjoy himself if coming to life again could have himself tub and au into mr s parlour and could have seen tom pinch as he sat on mercy s stool with his plate and glass before him he could not have faced it out though in his mood but must have smiled good the perfect and entire satisfaction of tom his surpassing appreciation of the which in his mouth like the unspeakable relish with which he swallowed the thin wine by drops and his lips as though it were so rich and generous that to lose an of its were a sin the look with which he paused sometimes with his glass in his hand proposing silent to himself and the anxious shade that came upon his i h and of contented face when wandering round the room in its his glance encountered the brow of his companion no in the world though in his hatred of its men a very could have these things in thomas pinch some men would have him on the back and pledged him in a of the wine though it had been the � ay and its too some would have seized him by his honest hand and thanked him for the lesson that his simple nature taught them some would have laughed with and others would have laughed at him of which last class was martin who unable to restrain himself at last laughed loud and long that s right said tom nodding cheer up that s capital at which young martin laughed again and said as soon as he had breath and gravity enough i never saw such a fellow as you are pinch didn t you though said tom well it s very likely you do find me strange because i have hardly seen anything of the world and you have seen a good deal i pretty well for my time of hfe rejoined martin drawing his chair still nearer to the fire and spreading his feet out on the deuce take it i must talk openly to somebody i talk openly to you pinch do said tom i shall take it as being very friendly of you i m not in your way am i inquired martin glancing down at mr pinch who was by 