Back wi' ye, and shut to the door!'
"But in place o' that he steps in saftly, wi' the poker pointed like a
swoord, and he gies it a poke, and down it a' tumbles together, head
and a', in a heap o' bayans and dust, little meyar an' a hatful.
"'Twas the bayans o' a child; a' the rest went to dust at a touch.
They said nout for a while, but he turns round the skull, as it lay on
the floor.
"Young as I was, I consayted I knew well enough what they was thinkin'
on.
"'A dead cat!' says he, pushin' back and blowin' out the can'le, and
shuttin' to the door. 'We'll come back, you and me, Mrs. Shutters, and
look on the shelves by-and-bye. I've other matters first to speak to
ye about; and this little girl's goin' hame, ye say. She has her
wages, and I mun mak' her a present,' says he, pattin' my shouther wi'
his hand.
"And he did gimma a goud pound and I went aff to Lexhoe about an hour
after, and sa hame by the stage-coach, and fain was I to be at hame
again; and I never sid Dame Crowl o' Applewale, God be thanked, either
in appearance or in dream, at-efter. But when I was grown to be a
woman, my aunt spent a day and night wi' me at Littleham, and she telt
me there was no doubt it was the poor little boy that was missing sa
lang sen, that was shut up to die thar in the dark by that wicked
beldame, whar his skirls, or his prayers, or his thumpin' cud na be
heard, and his hat was left by the water's edge, whoever did it, to
mak' belief he was drowned.
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