Page:More English Fairy Tales.djvu/199

 . Your father's house is burned down to the ground.

. G. My father's house burnt down! and how came it to be on fire?

. I think, Sir, it must have been the torches.

. G. Torches! what torches?

. At your mother's funeral.

. G. My mother dead?

. Ay, poor lady, she never looked up after it.

. G. After what?

. The loss of your father.

. G. My father gone too?

. Yes, poor gentleman, he took to his bed as soon as he heard of it.

. G. Heard of what?

. The bad news, an' it please your honour.

. G. What? more miseries, more bad news!

. Yes, Sir, your bank has failed, your credit is lost and you're not worth a shilling in the world. I made bold, Sir, to come and wait on you about it; for I thought you would like to hear the news.