doors up, as it were, all the faster for the extremest strokes of Mr. Rippenger's rod. He remarked justly that I grew an impenetrably sulle

her by speaking of old Riversley, a place I half longed for since my father had grown so distant and dim to me; but confession to Mr. Rippenger seemed, as he said of Heriot's behaviour to him, a gross breach of trust to my father; so I refused steadily to answer, and suffered the consequences now on my dear father's behalf. Heriot's aunt brought me a cake, and in a letter from him an extraordinary sum of money for a boy of my age. He wrote that he knew I should want it to pay my debts for treats to the boys and keep them in good humour. He believed also that his people meant to have me for the Christmas holidays. The sum he sent me was five pounds, carefully enclosed. I felt myself a prince again. The money was like a golden gate through which freedom twinkled a finger. Forthwith I paid my debts, amounting to two pounds twelve shillings, and instructed a couple of day-boarders, commercial fellows, whose heavy and mysterious charges for commissions ran up a bill in no time, to prepare to bring us mat

ebank undertook to manage our feast for us. Coming home over the downs, just upon twilight, Temple and I saw Saddlebank carrying a long withy upright. We asked him what it was for. He shouted back: 'It's for fortune. You keep the rear guard.' Then we saw him following a man and a flock of geese, and imitating the action of the man with his green wand. As we were ready to laugh at anything Saddlebank did, we laughed at this. The man walked like one half asleep, and appeared to wake up now and then to find that he was right in the middle of his geese, and then he waited, and Saddlebank waited be

said Temple, though it was perfect

' said Saddlebank, and he hewed the air

mean-a slic

ured booty. Saddlebank would talk nothing

s goose 'd be wit

ured me. 'Saddlebank, I 'l

, you two, cut back by the down and try all your might to get a dozen ap

reached the main street, mad for apples, before Catman appeared there. Apples, champagne, and cakes were

l have,' Temple said among th

time. To me and Temple he breathed of goose, but he shunned us; he had no fun in him t

e downs,' sai

y Catman out of twenty-seven; fifteen blanks were marked. Temple dashed his hand into the cap first 'Like my luck,' he remarked, and pocketed both fists as he began strutting away to hide his desperation at drawing a blank. I bought a substitute for him at the price of half-a-crown,-Drew, a fellow we were glad to get rid of; he wanted five shillings. The feast was worth fifty, but to haggle about prices showed the sneak. He begged

Only Temple and I jumped at the meaning of this. We drew lots for a messenger, and it was miserable to behold an unfortunate fellow touch Saddlebank's hand containing the notched bit of stick, and find himself condemned to go and buy sage and onions somewhere, without knowing what it was for how could he guess we were going to cook a raw goose! Th

tramp's tent there, we nevertheless acknowledged the respectful greeting of the women and the man with a few questions about tentpegs, pots, and tin mugs. Saddlebank remained aloft, keeping a look-out for the day-school fellows, Chaunter, Davis, and Bystop, my commissioners. They did not keep us waiting long. They had driven to the spot in a cart, according to Saddlebank's directions. Our provisions were in three large hampers. We praised their forethought loudly

sky, and shouting, 'See, you fellows, here's a find!' He ran through us, swinging his goose up to the hampers, saying that he had foun

one corner screwed in a queer lift: he

nd you fellows! here's a beastly place you've pitched

you finds gooses hereabouts growing ready for the fire,

hy, of course, young gentlemen, if you want to eat the goose, we'll pluck it for you and

o remove the goose's inside, and not to lose the giblets, which even the boy who named them confessed his inabili

gne; I meant to before I died!' Most of the boys seemed puzzled by it. As for me, my heart sprang up in me like a colt turned out of stables to graze. I determined that the humblest of my retainers should feed from my table, and drink to my father's and Heriot's honour, and I poured o

said a woman; 'she's a regular ob

nd I've seen iron bent double. She's harder

!' cried Temple, and sigh

side him to talk

t-goose, they exclaimed, not boiled; who cared for boiled goose! But the woman asked them how it was possible to roast a

sowed discontent by grumbling, 'Now you see what

hen, to the disgust of Saddlebank and others, down ran the black-haired girl and caught th

d out, 'Now, t

back. We exchanged half-a-dozen blows, whereupon he consented t

the rascal's going on his k

'you were the first

guard if he said that. I made

comes of the precious company you

entlemen enjoying themselves. Temple tossed him a pint bo

ou're what goes by the name of a learned gentleman

can tell you,' said Temple.

r them, may be,' said the man. 'Well, ki

ng gentlemen, for Saddlebank was swearing awfully in an unde

d tarts on it, and champagne, it tasted excellently; toffy to follow. Those boys who chose ginger-wine had it, and drank, despised. The ginger-beer

ce, I'm a nobleman

some time. Then you'll see fellows rise: lieutenant, captain, colonel, General

d see you, Te

,' he said, grasp

e poison. I won't stand it. You've seen my father, haven't you? Gentlemen never forget their servants, Temple. Let's drink lots more champagne. I wish you and

he never comes to see you, because he's fond of you; the right sort of father! Big men can't be always looking after little boys. Not that we're so young, though, now.

ce, Temple going so far as to say that it came o

y father plead in Court with his wig on. They used to say at home I was a cl

rs respectfully,' S

t bad fellows, grew desirous of a whiff from his pipe. They had it, and lay down silent, back to back. Bystop was led away in a wretched plight. Two other

d I tell you, whether you like it or not, you shall have apples with it, and sage and onio

all he thought of was seeing the goose out of the pot. I had a feeling ne

topsy-turvy: we're like a lot of things rattled in a box. Oh, dear! how I d

sober, and, for a proof of it, trying to direct their feet upon a lump of chalk, and marching, and missing it. Up came Chaunter to

nd were assured, therefore, of our living out the field; but I dreaded the moment of the goose's appearance, and I think he did also. Saddlebank's pertinacity i

remaining in them. Plunged among dark green leaves, smelling wood-smoke, at night; at morning waking up, and the world alight, and you standing high, and marking the hills where you will see the next morning and the next, morning after morning, and one morning the dearest person in the world surprising you just before you wake: I thought this a heavenly ple

l make Catman hear you,' said

pired

for the last hour and a h

, and the only one who was.

tody; I'm away home

he black openi

le standing over a prostrate figure. Then we heard a voice too well known to us. It said, 'The explanation of

ger!' breat

d the folly of despatching a donke

'Come along-we run for it! Come along, Richie!

rusted my legs; and he was staggering, answering S

ed Mr. Rippenger. Poor Temple

ide me,' said I; and the curtain of the tent was raised. After squeezing through boxes and straw, I lay flat, covered by a mat smelling of abom

, 'Me deceive you, sir! See for yourself, to satisfy yourself. Here's our little uns laid warm, and a girl there, head on the mat, going down to join h

at up, and the creature who had been kind to me laid mat and straw