“Don't be cheeky!” said Captain Palliser. “I will give you a sovereign if you'll let me see the map you and Mr. Temple Barholm used to look at and talk so much about.” He laid the sovereign down on the small table by Tummas's sofa, but Tummas did not pick it up. “I know who tha art. Tha'rt Palliser, an' tha wast th' one as said as him as was killed in th' Klondike had coom back alive.” “You've been listening to that servants' story, have you?” remarked Palliser. “You had better be careful as to what you say. I suppose you never heard of libel suits. Where would you find yourself if you were called upon to pay Mr. Temple Barholm ten thousand pounds' damages? You'd be obliged to sell your atlas.” “Burrill towd as he heard thee say tha'd swear in court as it was th' one as was killed as tha'd seen.” “That's Burrill's story, not mine. And Burrill had better keep his mouth shut,” said Palliser. “If it were true, how would you like it? I've heard you were interested in 'th' one as was killed.'” Tummas's eyes burned troublously. “I've got reet down taken wi' th' other un,” he answered. “He's noan gentry, but he's th' reet mak'. I--I dunnot believe as him as was killed has coom back.” “Neither do I,” Palliser answered, with amiable tolerance. “The American gentleman had better come back himself and disprove it. When you used to talk about the Klondike, he never said anything to make you feel as if he doubted that the other man was dead?” “Not him,” answered Tummas. “Eh! Tummas, what art tha talkin' about?” exclaimed Mrs. Hibblethwaite, who was mending at the other end of the room. “I heerd him say mysel, `Suppose th' story hadn't been true an' he was alive somewhere now, it'd make a big change, would na' it?' An' he laughed.” “I never heerd him,” said Tummas, in stout denial. “Tha's losin' tha moind,” commented his mother. “As soon as I heerd th' talk about him runnin' away an' takin' th' mad gentleman wi' him I remembered it. An' I remembered as he sat still after it and said nowt for a minute or so, same as if he was thinkin' things over. Theer was summat a bit queer about it.” “I never heerd him,” Tummas asserted, obstinately, and shut his mouth. “He were as ready to talk about th' poor gentleman as met with th' accident as tha wert thysel', Tummas,” Mrs. Hibblethwaite proceeded, moved by the opportunity offered for presenting her views on the exciting topic. “He'd ax thee aw sorts o' questions about what tha'd found out wi' pumpin' foak. He'd ax me questions now an' agen about what he was loike to look at, an' how tall he wur. Onct he axed me if I remembered what soart o' chin he had an' how he spoke.” “It wur to set thee goin' an' please me,” volunteered Tummas, grudgingly. “He did it same as he'd look at th' map to please me an' tell me tales about th' news-lads i' New York.”