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Book, page 41 / 462 "Well," said the lady, smiling, "what do you see that makes you look so surprised?" "That all my mats are gone," said Jem; "but you are very welcome." "Are we?" said the lady, "well, take up your hat and go home then, for you see that it is getting late, and you know Lightfoot will wonder what's become of you." Jem turned round to take up his hat, which he had left on the floor. But how his countenance changed! the hat was heavy with shillings. Everyone who had taken a mat had put in two shillings; so that for the eighteen mats he had got thirty-six shillings. "Thirty-six shillings," said the lady; "five and sevenpence I think you told me you had earned already--how much does that make? I must add, I believe, one other sixpence to make out your two guineas." "Two guineas!" exclaimed Jem, now quite conquering his bashfulness, for at the moment he forgot where he was, and saw nobody that was by. "Two guineas!" cried he, clapping his hands together,--"O, Lightfoot! O, mother!" Then, recollecting himself, he saw his mistress, whom he now looked up to quite as a friend. "Will YOU thank them all?" said he, scarcely daring to glance his eyes round upon the company; "will YOU thank 'em, for you know I don't know how to thank 'em RIGHTLY." Everybody thought, however, that they had been thanked RIGHTLY. "Now we won't keep you any longer, only," said his mistress, "I have one thing to ask you, that I may be by when you show your treasure to your mother." "Come, then," said Jem, "come with me now." "Not now," said the lady, laughing; "but I will come to Ashton to-morrow evening; perhaps your mother can find me a few strawberries." "That she will," said Jem: "I'll search the garden myself." He now went home, but felt it a great restraint to wait till to-morrow evening before he told his mother. To console himself he flew to the stable:--"Lightfoot, you're not to be sold on Monday, poor fellow!" said
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