her mistress all about it. "She's a imp, that woman is—a out-and-out imp."
"Vot I'm thinkin of," said Chokes, having surveyed the cottage calmly, "ith thith: how did they get up to them there poth? Have you a ladder about the premitheth?"
"A small un: it'll reach up as high as my window there."
"Thatth of no uthe."
"Couldn't they get up that gutter?" said Judkins, alluding to a wooden pipe which reached from the roof to the water butt.
"Vy," replied Chokes, "if they didn't, I don't thee how they got up at all! But there ithn't more than room enough there for a cat! A man would break his blethed neck if he attempted to valk up there. I'd back my boy againtht the univerth for climbing, but he couldn't get up there!—a reg'lar rope-danther couldn't do it."
"Well, it's quite clear they got up somehow."
"Yeth, thatth vethy clear."
"And as missis is going to London to-day, the sooner we get them there sacks off the better."
"Vethy good. Ve mutht have a long ladder to do it. Whoth got one?"
"I don't know exactly: let's go and inquire."
They accordingly started, and while they were absent, cook was endeavouring to impress upon her mistress the probability of Judkins being in this case the delinquent. But her mistress would not for a moment hear of even its possibility. "I do not," she said, at length, "believe a word of it, cook: nor have you any reason to believe it. I know that you and Judkins are not friends, and if I find on my return that you are not more friendly, you must be separated. Judkins I believe to be a most faithful servant, and I would not part with him on any slight grounds."
Cook wept at the prospect which opened before her. She was deeply attached to her mistress—it may be said that she loved her—and would not on any account have left her voluntarily—except indeed to be married. This address therefore made a deep impression on her mind, and caused her to reflect upon the expediency of reforming that infirmity of temper of which every one complained.
Judkins and Chokes now returned with a ladder—the only one in the village that could reach the roof, and one which had been locked up for months and when they had succeeded in raising it, Chokes ascended with admirable presence of mind, and having philosophically taken off the sacks, the fires when lighted burned freely again.
"Mr. Chokes," said cook, when all this had been accomplished, "you'll have a glass of ale?"
"If you pleathe," replied Chokes.
"You'll have a glass, Judkins?"
Judkins was startled! He felt quite amazed! The idea of her asking him to have a glass of ale, after what had occurred, so upset his faculties for the moment, that he seemed to have been deprived of the power of speech! She waited not, however, for his answer: she went
