this empty punnit 'ere, along of the others? there's plums bin in it,
I can see, 'cos it's not new. Speak up, youngster!' I looked at
Dick's face, Mrs. Wilson, and his eyes seemed to go right into my
throat, and draw the truth out of me. 'Speak up,' he sez, a-gettin'
cross; 'if you've prigged 'em, say so, and you'll get a good hidin'
from me, for a-doin' of it; but if you tells me a lie, you'll get
such a hidin' for that as 'll make you remember it all your life; so
speak up, say you did it, and take your hidin' like a brick, and if
you didn't prig 'em, say who did, 'cos you must 'av' seen 'em go.'

"I couldn't do nothin', Mrs. Wilson, but keep my 'ed down, and
blubber out, 'Please, Dick, I eat 'em.'

"'Oh, you did, yer young greedy, did yer,' he sez; 'I'm glad yer
didn't tell me a lie. I've got to giv' yer a hidin', Joe; but giv' us
yer 'and, old chap, first, and mind wot I sez to yer: "_Own up to it,
wotever you do_," and take your punishment; it's 'ard to bear, but
when the smart on it's over yer forgets it; but if yer tells a lie to
save yerself, yer feels the smart of _that_ always; yer feels ashamed
of yerself whenever yer thinks of it.' And then Dick give me a
thrashin', he did, but I never 'ollered or made a row, tho' he hit
pretty 'ard. And, Mrs. Wilson, I never could look in Dick's face if I
told a lie, and I never shall tell one, I 'ope, as long as ever I
live. You should just see Dick, Mrs. Wilson, he is a one-er, he is."

"Lor' bless the boy," said Mary, the housemaid; "why, if he isn't a-
cryin' now. Whatever's the matter? One minnit you're makin' us larf
fit to kill ourselves, and then you're nearly makin' us cry with your
Dick, and your great eyes runnin' over like that. Now get away, and
take the dogs their supper, and see if you can't get a bit of color