During the time that he had been employed, he had never lost a day.
"At the time he was apprenticed to you, Mr.Penfold," Reuben's counsel asked, "were you aware that the lad had been summarily discharged by Mr.Ellison ?" "I was aware of that fact," Mr.Penfold answered; and Reuben, with surprise, looked at his employer.
"From whom did you hear of it ?" "I heard of it from Mr.Ellison himself, who called upon me about the matter." "How was it he came to call upon you, Mr.Penfold ?" "The prisoner's mother had applied to me about apprenticing her son.

I had asked 50 pounds premium, and said that it wasn't my custom to pay any wages for the first year.

She said she could only afford pounds, and I thought that was an end of the matter until, a few days later, Mr.Ellison called upon me, and said that he had heard from the schoolmaster in his village, who was a friend of the boy's mother, how matters stood; and that her application had fallen through, owing to her being unable to find more than 20 pounds.
"I said that this was so.

Mr.Ellison then said that he was prepared to make up the deficiency, that he had a regard for the boy's father; and that, moreover, he himself had, through a hasty misconception regarding the poisoning of the dog, discharged the lad from his service; and that he felt uneasy, in his mind, at having been guilty of a piece of injustice.

Over and above the 30 pounds, he gave me six pound ten; in order that I might pay the boy half a crown a week, for the first year, which he said would be a matter of consequence to his mother.