A "bit op muslin." 23 



Puffy Doddles pledged his honour that he never had a 

 relative, connection, friend, or acquaintance, as far as he either 

 knew or believed, of the name of Sally. , 



" Glad to hear it," returned George Spindles. " We don't 

 want our lads to be soft upon Sallys, or Bettys neither, I can 

 tell ye," continued he. "I knew a bit of muslin once that 

 nearly ruined all Yorkshire." 



A bit of muslin nearly ruined all Yorkshire ! Puffy 

 Doddles dropped his lower jaw, and raised his eyebrows to 

 their fullest stretch with astonishment. 



" That bit of muslin," resumed the head lad of the Great 

 Stable of the North, " was a lady's maid of the name of 

 Matilda ; and a plump, pretty little black-eyed lass Matilda 

 was. I think I see her now," added George Spindles, folding 

 his arms across his somewhat narrow chest, and casting a look 

 of mingled meditation and regret upon his boots. 



" You knew her, then 1 " remarked Puffy Doddles. 



"I knew her well," returned the head lad of the Great 

 Stable of the North, "and a plump, pretty little black-eyed lass 

 Matilda was," repeated he, still keeping a steadfast, thoughtful 

 gaze bent upon his boots. 



Puffy Doddles, not knowing what to say during the short 

 awkward pause which now ensued, exercised a wise discretion, 

 perhaps, in saying nothing. 



" It happened in this way," resumed George Spindles. 

 " There was a tout of the name of Sweety in these parts once, 

 and he, somehow or other, got round Matilda so as to plant 

 herself upon a certain head lad belonging to a stable no great 

 distance off. Being a little soft, ye see, upon the subject of 

 gals, this head lad dropped into the mischief like a blind puppy 

 rolling over the edge of a ditch. Through a good deal of 

 wheedling and coaxing on her part, Matilda got to know the 

 secrets of the stable, and" — here George Spindles' voice be- 

 came husky from deep emotion — "she split !" 



"What a varmint!" exclaimed Puffy Doddles, incapable 



