"I hope so," replied Smike. "When I was at that—you know where I mean?"
"Yes, I know," said Nicholas. "You needn't name the place."
"Well, when I was there," resumed Smike; his eyes sparkling at the prospect of displaying his abilities; "I could milk a cow, and groom a horse with anybody."
"Ha!" said Nicholas, gravely. "I am afraid they don't usually keep many animals of either kind on board ship, and even when they have horses, that they are not very particular about rubbing them down; still you can learn to do something else, you know. Where there's a will, there's a way."
"And I am very willing," said Smike, brightening up again.
"God knows you are," rejoined Nicholas; "and if you fail, it shall go hard but I'll do enough for us both."
"Do we go all the way to-day?" asked Smike, after a short silence.
"That would be too severe a trial, even for your willing legs," said Nicholas, with a good-humoured smile. "No. Godalming is some thirty and odd miles from London—as I found from a map I borrowed—and I purpose to rest there. We must push on again to-morrow, for we are not rich enough to loiter. Let me relieve you of that bundle, come."
"No, no," rejoined Smike, falling back a few steps. "Don't ask me to give it up to you."
"Why not? " asked Nicholas.
"Let me do something for you, at least," said Smike. "You will never let me serve you as I ought. You will never know how I think, day and night, of ways to please you."
"You are a foolish fellow to say it, for I know it well, and see it, or I should be a blind and senseless beast," rejoined Nicholas. "Let me ask you a question while I think of it, and there is no one by," he added, looking him steadily in the face. "Have you a good memory?"
"I don't know," said Smike, shaking his head sorrowfully. "I think I had once; but it's all gone now—all gone."
"Why do you think you had once?" asked Nicholas, turning quickly upon him as though the answer in some way helped out the purport of his question.
"Because I could remember when I was a child," said Smike, "but that is very, very long ago, or at least it seems so. I was always confused and giddy at that place you took me from; and could never remember, and sometimes couldn't even understand what they said to me. I—let me see—let me see."
"You are wandering now," said Nicholas, touching him on the arm.
"No," replied his companion, with a vacant look. "I was only thinking how——." He shivered involuntarily as he spoke.
"Think no more of that place, for it is all over," retorted Nicholas, fixing his eye full upon that of his companion, which was fast settling into an unmeaning stupified gaze, once habitual to him, and common even then. "What of the first day you went to Yorkshire?"
"Eh!" cried the lad.
