upon, he was held under the pump and drenched for nearly half-an-hour, until he lay beneath the spout in a state of complete exhaustion.  The crowd were then satisfied, and he was left to get away how he could, which he did, after a time, in a most deplorable plight, bare-headed, in his shirt and torn trousers.  He contrived to walk as far as to the house where his mother resided, was admitted to her room, when he fell exhausted on the bed.  The old woman was astonished; and having some gin in her cupboard, revived him by administering a small quantity, and, in the course of half-an-hour, Vanslyperken could tell his story; but all the consolation he received from the old beldame was, “Serve you right too, for being such an ass.  I suppose you’ll be bringing the stupid people about my ears soon—­they’ve hooted me before now.  Ah, well—­I’ll not be pumped upon for nothing—­my knife is a sharp one.”

Vanslyperken had clothes under his mother’s charge, and he dressed himself in another suit, and then hastened away, much mortified and confounded with the latter events of the day.  The result of his arrangements with his mother was, however, a balm to his wounded spirit, and he looked upon Smallbones as already dead.  He hastened down into his cabin, as soon as he arrived on board, to ascertain the condition of Snarleyyow, whom he found as well as could be expected, and occasionally making unavailing attempts to lick the stump of his tail.

“My poor dog!” exclaimed Vanslyperken, “what have you suffered, and what have I suffered for you?  Alas! if I am to suffer as I have to-day for only your tail, what shall I go through for your whole body?” And, as Vanslyperken recalled his misfortunes, so did his love increase for the animal who was the cause of them.  Why so, we cannot tell, except that it has been so from the beginning, is so now, and always will be the case, for the best of all possible reasons—­that it is human nature.

Chapter XXXIX

In which is recorded a most barbarous and bloody murder.

We observed, in a previous chapter, that Mr Vanslyperken was observed by Moggy Salisbury to go into a jeweller’s shop, and remain there some time, and that Moggy was very inquisitive to know what it was that could induce Mr Vanslyperken to go into so unusual a resort for him.

The next day she went into the shop upon a pretence of looking at some ear-rings, and attempted to enter into conversation with the jeweller; but the jeweller, not perhaps admiring Moggy’s appearance, and not thinking her likely to be a customer, dismissed her with very short answers.  Failing in her attempt, Moggy determined to wait till Nancy Corbett should come over, for she knew that Nancy could dress and assume the fine lady, and be more likely to succeed than herself.  But although Moggy could not penetrate into the mystery, it is necessary the reader should be informed of the proceedings of Mr Vanslyperken.