'Humming a tune as she goes,' said Mark, listening, 'in case I should
think she's at all put out, and should be made down-hearted. Come,
here's some credit in being jolly, at last!'
With that piece of comfort, very ruefully uttered, he went, in anything
but a jolly manner, to bed.
He rose early next morning, and was a-foot soon after sunrise. But it
was of no use; the whole place was up to see Mark Tapley off; the boys,
the dogs, the children, the old men, the busy people and the idlers;
there they were, all calling out 'Good-b'ye, Mark,' after their own
manner, and all sorry he was going. Somehow he had a kind of sense that
his old mistress was peeping from her chamber-window, but he couldn't
make up his mind to look back.
'Good-b'ye one, good-b'ye all!' cried Mark, waving his hat on the top
of his walking-stick, as he strode at a quick pace up the little street.
'Hearty chaps them wheelwrights--hurrah! Here's the butcher's dog
a-coming out of the garden--down, old fellow! And Mr Pinch a-going to
his organ--good-b'ye, sir! And the terrier-bitch from over the way--hie,
then, lass! And children enough to hand down human natur to the latest
posterity--good-b'ye, boys and girls! There's some credit in it now.
Pages:
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236