The benevolent Mr. Marshal seized the moment when he saw Mr. Hill's heart
was touched, and exclaimed, "I must be acquainted with this Mr. O'Neill.
I am sure we people of Hereford ought to show some hospitality to a
stranger who has so much humanity. Mr. Hill, will you dine with him to-
morrow at my house?"
Mr. Hill was just going to accept of this invitation, when the
recollection of all he had said to his club about the hole under the
cathedral came across him, and, drawing Mr. Marshal aside, he whispered,
"But, sir, sir, that affair of the hole under the cathedral has not been
cleared up yet."
At this instant the Widow Smith exclaimed, "Oh! here comes my little
Mary" (one of her children, who came running in); "this is the little
girl, sir, to whom the lady has been so good. Make your curtsey, child.
Where have you been all this while?"
"Mammy," said the child, "I've been showing the lady my rat."
"Lord bless her! Gentlemen, the child has been wanting me this many a
day to go to see this tame rat of hers; but I could never get time,
never--and I wondered, too, at the child's liking such a creature. Tell
the gentlemen, dear, about your rat. All I know is that, let her have
but never such a tiny bit of bread for breakfast or supper, she saves a
little of that little for this rat of hers; she and her brothers have
found it out somewhere by the cathedral.
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