HARRY DALE AND ROBERT TOP. 21 



featherin' his own precious nest. If so be lie can do tliat, and 

 he's in no way nice, Hany, whether they're pigeons or rooks, 

 so long as they are feathers," continued Mr. Kobert Top, with 

 a deliberate wink of his left angular organ of vision ; " I say, 

 if so be he can do that, John Sellusall is in no way nice as to 

 what birds are plucked ; it's my opinion, Harry, he'd put his 

 own mother in the hole if it came to extremities. With my 

 information, therefore, of John Sellusall's notions of friendship, 

 I'm not goin' to put much faith in that cockboat. Now, what- 

 ever 5^ou may become by-an'-by, Harry, is one thing ; what you 

 are's another. At the present moment you're as verdant as 

 any young pea this mornin' gathered, and for a time — long or 

 short, as the case may be, but only for a time, Harry — I can 

 put all the trust I want to be carried in your basket o' greens. 

 You could' nt come the artful with me if ye would, and I'm 

 free to say, as I think, wouldn't if ye could. But a trainin*- 

 stable and this are difierent schools, lad. We don't become 

 close connections o' the Sellusalls at once, Harry, head-over-tip. 

 The movement's a slow one ; but as flints become smoother and 

 bright from the rollin' and washin' o' the tide, so we are 

 rubbed, by degrees, into somcthin' a'most as tough as pewter, 

 and harder than crockery." 



Harry Dale continued in the same meek position upon his 

 knees, and, at the conclusion of the sentence, raised a finger 

 and thumb, and mechanically pinched the duck's tail. 



" Not if you were a Top, Harry, by Eobert Toj), dam Eliza- 

 beth by William, dam Lucy, ov/n sister to Maryanne, by Thomas 

 Top, would I trust ye, when master o' the dodges of a Selhisall," 

 said our head gTOom, Avith marked emphasis; "but you? 

 apprenticeship has not begun yet." 



Harry made another appeal to his top-knot in unbroken 

 silence. 



"I shall, therefore, depend on your sendin' me," resumed 

 Robert, "a true an' partic'lar account of what this colt's doin': 

 I want to know when he's in strong work, when moderate, ana 

 when out ; who leads'm in his gallops, hov/ he goes, the distances 



