30.  S. Fifty dollars, did you say?

31.  D. Ay, truly, did I; but as your mare is out of order, I’ll go and see if I can get old Roan, the blacksmith’s horse.

32.  S. Old Roan!  My mare is at your service, neighbor, Here, Tim, tell Ned Saunders he can’t have the mare:  neighbor Derby wants her; and I won’t refuse so good a friend anything he asks for.

33.  D. But what are you to do for meal?

34.  S. My wife can do without it for a week if you want the mare so long.

35.  D. But, then, your saddle is all in pieces.

36.  S. I meant the old one.  I have bought a new one since, and you shall have the first use of it.

37.  D. And shall I call at Thumper’s and get the mare shod?

38.  S. No, no; I had forgotten to tell you that I let neighbor Dobson shoe her, last week, by way of trial; and, to do him justice, he shoes extremely well.

39.  D. But, if the poor creature has lost so much skin from off her back—­

40.  S. Poh, poh!  That is just one of Tim’s large stories.  I do assure you it was not, at first, bigger than my thumb nail, and I am certain it has not grown any since.

41.  D. At least, however, let her have something she will eat, since she refuses hay.

42.  S. She did, indeed, refuse hay this morning; but the only reason was that she was crammed full of oats.  You have nothing to fear, neighbor; the mare is in perfect trim; and she will skim you over the ground like a bird.  I wish you a good journey and a profitable job.

Definitions.—­l.  Ex-treme’ly, very much. 6.  Whim’si-cal, full of whims. 20.  Cur’ried, cleaned.  Fore’top, hair on the forepart of the head. 24.  Bun’gler, a clumsy workman. 26.  Dis-posed’, inclined to, Back’ward, slow, unwilling. 27.  Ca’pa-ble, possessing ability.  Per-form’ing, accomplishing. 29.  Re-fus’al, choice of tak-ing. 42.  Crammed, stuffed.

XXXIII.  THE NOBLEST REVENGE. (94)

1.  “I will have revenge on him, that I will, and make him heartily repent it,” said Philip to himself, with a countenance quite red with anger.  His mind was so engaged that he did not see Stephen, who happened at that instant to meet him.

2.  “Who is that,” said Stephen, “on whom you intend to be revenged?” Philip, as if awakened from a dream, stopped short, and looking at his friend, soon resumed a smile that was natural to his countenance.  “Ah,” said he, “you remember my bamboo, a very pretty cane which was given me by my father, do you not?  Look! there it is in pieces.  It was farmer Robinson’s son who reduced it to this worthless state.”

3.  Stephen very coolly asked him what had induced young Robinson to break it.  “I was walking peaceably along,” replied he, “and was playing with my cane by twisting it round my body.  By accident, one of the ends slipped out of my hand, when I was opposite the gate, just by the wooden bridge, where the ill natured fellow had put down a pitcher of water, which he was taking home from the well.”