You can tell yer mother that you seed me." A smile curled round Paul's lips at the comic idea of giving his mother unsolicited information.

"Barney Bill ?" said he.
"Yuss," said the man.

Then, after a pause, "What are you doing of there ?" "Reading," said Paul.
"Let's have a look at it." Paul regarded him suspiciously; but there was kindliness in the twinkling glance.

He handed him the sorry apology for a book.
Barney Bill turned it over.

'Why, said he, "it ain't got no beginning and no end.