He said he had no money." "No; and he hadn't any," Ripon said, "for I had only the day before lent him twopence to buy some string, and he paid me when he got his allowance on Saturday." "Well, a day or two after that I came back after tea for a book that I had left behind me, and as I came in at the gate there Mather was standing at the corner talking to Mother Brown.

He had his back to the door, and they didn't see me.

She was talking loud and angry and I couldn't help hearing what she said." "Well, what did she say ?" Ripon said rather impatiently.
"She said, 'You have disappointed me over and over again, and if you don't pay me that ten shillings you borrowed of me last half, and the bill for the cakes, by Saturday, I will see the master and tell him all about it.' I didn't hear any more; but on the Saturday I saw him go up to her in the field and pay her something.

Of course I don't know what it was; not all, I think, by the manner in which she took it; still, I suppose it was enough to content her.

About ten days afterward we heard the book was missing.