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turned to your poor father, and said, in a fluttering-like, yet grand kind of voice, too-Barton,' says he, 'you have done more for me than if you had saved my own life; I can never hope to repay you for the happiness you have given me at this moment, yet Before the gentleman could finish

what he was going to say, your good father turned away, saying, Lord bless your honour, don't thank me; it's no more than what you'd have done for my Johnny, I'll swear, if you'd seen him drop overboard, like your young thing there.' Your father was proud enough, then, Johnny, and he told me he guessed that the gentleman was going to give him money, so he jumped into his boat which lay alongside, and the vessel sailed away immediately, and he never heard anything more of the gentleman: but though your father didn't want anything at that time from anybody, being able to gain his own living comfortably and honestly, much less to have a reward for having saved an innocent fellow-creature's life; yet I can't help wishing that he'd made a friend of the gentleman, who couldn't but be grateful."

"How long ago was this, mother?" said John, after thinking a little while.

"It was eight years since, come Midsummer Day; I should surely remember it," continued Dame Barton, "for when my good John Barton came home with an honest flush on his brow, and first told me the story, I looked on you, and thanked God that it was not my own dear Johnny who had run the chance of being drowned, instead of the little stranger. You were then a little more than two years old, for to-morrow's the 3rd of June, you know, your birth-day, Johnny; and then you will be exactly ten years old.”

"Do you think the gentleman has forgotten what my father did for him, mother?" asked Johnny, after another and a longer pause.

"I don't think he has, but I can't say, for gentlefolk are apt to be forgetful. Perhaps, however, he has never been to England since then."

Little John said no more, but went on very busily with his work, so busily, indeed, that when his mother looked at him again, she saw that he had finished his job.

"Why, how quickly you have worked, Johnny," said she; "you didn't think to have done that net till to-morrow morning, did you?"

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No, mother," answered John; "but when I am talking to you, and thinking hard, it's surprising how the work gets on; I'm glad I've done it, though," continued he, rising to put by his mesh and twine; "because I shall be able to take it to Bill Haul to-night, instead of to-morrow, as I promised."

"But it's getting dark, dear, I am going to put away my wheel," said his mother.

"O, it's not too late, mother, I shall be there and back before you have put by your spinning-wheel, and got the haddocks out ready for supper; so good bye, good bye, mother," added he, seeing that she did not prevent his going, and off he ran.

"He's a dear, good little soul, and that's the truth on 't," said Dame Barton to herself, as she listened to the eager footsteps of the boy, which crashed among the shingles, growing fainter and fainter every minute, till at last their sound could no longer be distinguished from the restless washing of the

waves on the beach.

"I'm sure I ought n't to be the one to check him when he's doing a goodnatured turn for a neighbour."

It was a beautiful evening; and as little John Barton ran along the beach, he took off his hat, and unbuttoned his shirt collar that he might enjoy the cool breeze, for the day had been very sultry.

"This air blows towards France," said he, half aloud, "for I know that France lies over there across the blue waters, and Paris is in France, and he lives in Paris. O, how I do wish," exclaimed he, passionately, and suddenly stopping short, and straining his eyes over the wide sea, "how I do wish I could go to Paris-I would find him out-I would see him-I would tell him-I will, I must go," said he, interrupting himself, and again running forward. When he arrived at the cottage where his friend Bill Haul lived, he found a strange man there, speaking with Bill's father, whom he did not at first take any notice of, but kept on talking with Bill about the net; however, presently he noticed that the man talked in a different tone from what he usually heard, and used his arms very violently while he spoke, and, at last, John thought he heard him say the word France, though in the same curious voice he had before noticed.

"Isn't that man a Frenchman, Bill, that's talking to your father?" asked John.

"Yes, he's wanting father to buy a cargo of apples and eggs he has brought from France, and he's in a hurry to strike his bargain, because he wants to be aboard again by four o'clock to-morrow morning; but never mind him, Jack, he speaks such gibberish, that—”

"Did you say he was going to France at four to-morrow morning, Bill?" interrupted little John.

"Yes, the tide serves them to make the harbour of Boulogne, I heard him say, so he wants to be off-do but hear what a chattering the French Mounseer makes," said Bill, who was about fourteen years of age, and thought it looked manly to ridicule a Frenchman. By this time the bargain was concluded between the fisherman and the apple-merchant; and as the latter left the cottage, John Barton took rather a hasty leave of his friend, and ran after the stranger, whom he overtook just as he reached the beach.

"Sir, Mr. Frenchman," said John, as he approached him, somewhat out of breath, "Sir, I want to speak to you, if you please."

"Heh, what you say, littel boy?" said the man, turning round.

"A'n't you going to France, sir?" said John.

"Yes, I am, at to-morrow morning; but what den, my littel shild?"

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Why, sir, I want very much to go to France, and if you'd be so good as to take me in your boat-"

"Take you in my boat! what for should I do that?" answered the Frenchman.

"Why, I can give you nothing for taking me, to be sure," said John; "I have neither money nor anything else of my own, to give away, but I will work as well and hard as ever I can; I can mend nets, and I can tar boats, and I can splice ropes, and I can—”

"Stop, stop! stay!" interrupted the Frenchman; "I was not tinking of what you could give me, or what you could

do for me; but I was tinking what should be the use if I was to take you in my bateau-in my boat."

"O, then you will take me, sir! O thank you, sir," said John, eagerly, "what use, did you say, sir? O, I want very much to go to France, to find a gentleman, who I hope will be a friend to my poor mother."

"Your moder, did you say, my littel friend-if you want to go to France to do good to your moder, you must be de bon fils de good son, so you shall go wid me in my bateau." fils―de

"O, thank you, kind Frenchman," said John, taking his hand and shaking it, and pressing it to his bosom, so overjoyed that he scarcely knew what he did or what he said; "then I will come to the harbour, by four to-morrow, and you will be there and take me, I shall be sure to find you."

"Oui, yes," returned the Frenchman; "you may come, but be sure you do not be too late after-you must be quite positivement a littel before four, because I would not lose de marais, dat is to say de what you call de tide, for de universe." So saying, he walked away in the direction of Dover town, leaving John to pursue his way home to the hut under the cliffs.

By this time the twilight had gradually given way to the coming on of night; and John Barton had been so earnestly engaged in talking and arranging his plan of going to France, that he had not perceived the increasing darkness. The sea that lay calmly before him, and the wide heavens that were above him, were both so exactly the same deep blue colour, that they seemed to touch and be one vast space, excepting that the waters beneath now and then broke into little white sparkles on the tops of the waves, and the sky over his head

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