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"What's id the widd dow!" exclaimed Tom. "There's sobethidg bovidg. What does she wadt with be?"

"You'll go in, of course?" said Sylvester.

"Yes, I'll go id. I bust go id!"

"Then shall I walk about here, or go towards home?"

"Oh, just walk about, I shall be but a very few bidutes: I odly wadt to hear what's the batter."

"Very well, then I'll walk up and down here until you return."

Tom then went into the house, and as he entered, Julia was evidently disappointed: she did not at all expect to see him alone, having heard, from one of the students, that Sylvester had been in the theatre with him.

"What's up?" inquired Tom. "Is there adythidg the batter?"

"Oh, dear me, no!" returned Julia, when, as several students were impatient for porter, she added, "I'll speak to you in a moment."

Having supplied the immediate demands of the thirsty, she returned to Tom, and said, "How is your friend?"

"Which?" inquired Tom. "Do you ibagide I've odly wud?"

"I mean your young friend: him whom you call Sylvester."

"Oh! he's well edough."

"He will not be here to-night, I presume?"

"Doe, he cad't stadd dridk: he's dot beed buch used to it."

"Is that the only cause of his not coming?"

"Why, what other cause do you ibagide he cad have?"

"I was fearful that I had been unfortunate enough to offend him."

"Offedd hib? Pooh! dodsedse: you cad't offedd hib!"

"Are you sure that I have not done so?"

"Quite."

"Then I am happy. I thought that I might perhaps have given him some offence, and if I had, the consciousness of having done so, would have been indeed very, very painful to me."

"Bake your bide easy," cried Tom, "about that. I dever knew you to give offedce to ady bad alive, add I'b perfectly sure that you have dot offedded hib."

"Then bring him again with you, that I also may be sure. There is no necessity for him to drink, not the slightest. Will you bring him in with you to-morrow evening?"

"He'll dot be here, I kdow, to-borrow evedidg. But I'll see about it."

"Do, there's a good creature, and then I shall be satisfied."

"Well, but I say, old girl, is this all you wadted be for?"

"I merely wished to be assured upon that one point."

"Oh, that's all right edough. Let's have wud pull at the pewter, add thed I'll be off."

The porter was brought, and Tom had "one pull," and managed to pull it all out of the pot, and when Julia had begged of him not to forget, he bade her adieu for the night, and left.

"Well," said Sylvester, when Tom had rejoined him, "was it any thing of importance?"