stole over her at last; her grasp relaxed, tightened, relaxed again, and

they slept side by side.

A confused sound of voices, mingling with her dreams, awoke her. A

man of very uncouth and rough appearance was standing over them,

and two of his companions were looking on, from a long heavy boat

which had come close to the bank while they were sleeping. The boat

had neither oar nor sail, but was towed by a couple of horses, who,

with the rope to which they were harnessed slack and dripping in the

water, were resting on the path.

Holloa!' said the man roughly. 'What's the matter here?'

We were only asleep, Sir,' said Nell. 'We have been walking all night.'

A pair of queer travellers to be walking all night,' observed the man

who had first accosted them. 'One of you is a trifle too old for that sort

of work, and the other a trifle too young. Where are you going?'

Nell faltered, and pointed at hazard towards the West, upon which the

man inquired if she meant a certain town which he named. Nell, to

avoid more questioning, said 'Yes, that was the place.'

'Where have you come from?' was the next question; and this being an

easier one to answer, Nell mentioned the name of the village in which

their friend the schoolmaster dwelt, as being less likely to be known to

the men or to provoke further inquiry.

I thought somebody had been robbing and ill-using you, might be,'

said the man. 'That's all. Good day.'

Returning his salute and feeling greatly relieved by his departure, Nell

looked after him as he mounted one of the horses, and the boat went

on. It had not gone very far, when it stopped again, and she saw the

men beckoning to her.

'Did you call to me?' said Nell, running up to them.

You may go with us if you like,' replied one of those in the boat. 'We're

going to the same place.'

The child hesitated for a moment. Thinking, as she had thought with

great trepidation more than once before, that the men whom she had

seen with her grandfather might, perhaps, in their eagerness for the

booty, follow them, and regaining their influence over him, set hers at

nought; and that if they went with these men, all traces of them must

surely be lost at that spot; determined to accept the offer. The boat

came close to the bank again, and before she had had any more time

The Old Curiosity Shop