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'The gipsies stole all our clothes, and made us have these horrid things,' said Hugh.

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'I only wish I had seen them, then,' said Mr. Marshall. Poor Selby might have been spared so much pain and anxiety; but I might not have recognised them even if I had seen them. could not believe they were George Selby's children even after they had told their names; and even when I have been mixed up with the hue and cry after them.

'I thought as the lads was something out of the common,' said the kind policeman, scratching his head; and I thought of Mr. Selby's boys as had wandered away; although it was no business of mine to be asking their names.'

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'You were quite right,' said Mr. Marshall. 'Have a glass of wine, constable?'

All this time Mrs. Marshall was trying to put some wine down Harry's throat. As he had fainted only from fright, he soon came round again, and his first words were I couldn't help it; indeed I couldn't; the gipsies made me do it; and when I said I would not, they beat me.'

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'I think you had better have them both put to bed,' said Mr. Marshall in a low voice, and, pray, have them washed a little first. I shall ride myself over to Selby's.'

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Indeed they wanted washing, as you may suppose; and when they were put into a nice soft bed they both of them fell fast asleep, and forgot all their troubles.

Meanwhile the policeman went back to Farmer Benson, and told him that the two young beggars had turned out young gentlemen; and when the farmer had heard it, he gave himself a tremendous hard slap upon the thigh, which I am sure must have made his leg ache for some minutes, and said

Blow me tight!'

Now, what blow me tight' means I don't know. If the very fat farmer in whose waggon Hugh and Harry had slept had said, 'Blow me tight,' one might have said that he was blown quite tight enough already, seeing that his stomach was as big as six stomachs; but Farmer Benson was not very fat, so perhaps he wished to be a little tighter. At any rate it is not an expression for young gentlemen and ladies; so you must not use it; but it did very well for a farmer.

So he slapped himself on the leg, and said in a loud voice, Blow me tight!'

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Then he smoked for a few minutes, and afterwards he said

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If I'd ha' know'd it, I'd ha' been the first to

take 'em home to their uncle's; and, after all, there was something about the boys as seemed like gentlemen, warn't there now ?'

'You didn't seem to see it, master, before you gave them over to me, poor little chaps. I did feel for that little 'un, I did,' said the policeman.

When Hugh and Harry woke up, they could not remember where they were. The room was

nearly dark, excepting for a shaded little lamp quite in one corner.

'Hal,' said Hugh in a low voice, and sitting up in the bed, are we at home?'

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'No; this is not our bed,' said Harry, looking at the curtains. Hugh, I believe we are still at Mr. Marshall's house; and, oh! do you think he has sent for Uncle Tom ?'

The lady was very kind,' said Hugh. 'I remember it all now. She had us put into a bath, and the water was quite black; and then she helped us into this bed, but she said nothing about Uncle Tom. I wonder if she knows all about it, and what wicked boys we have been?'

Hugh,' said Harry very gravely, 'do you think we shall always be wicked boys? Do you know I don't like it. I would rather be a good boy.'

'So would I,' answered Hugh. I used to think it was rather fine to be naughty, but I don't

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