. But they had still
the point to settle of how to get Diggs to take the things without
hurting his feelings. This they solved by leaving them in his study,
which was never locked when he was out. Diggs, who had attended the
auction, remembered who had bought the lots, and came to their study
soon after, and sat silent for some time, cracking his great red
finger-joints. Then he laid hold of their verses, and began looking over
and altering them, and at last got up, and turning his back to them,
said, "You're uncommon good-hearted little beggars, you two. I value
that paper-case; my sister gave it to me last holidays. I won't
forget." And so he tumbled out into the passage, leaving them somewhat
embarrassed, but not sorry that he knew what they had done.

The next morning was Saturday, the day on which the allowances of one
shilling a week were paid--an important event to spendthrift youngsters;
and great was the disgust amongst the small fry to hear that all the
allowances had been impounded for the Derby lottery. That great event
in the English year, the Derby, was celebrated at Rugby in those days
by many lotteries. It was not an improving custom, I own, gentle reader,
and led to making books, and betting, and other objectionable results;
but when our great Houses of Palaver think it right to stop the nation's
business on that day and many of the members bet heavily themselves, can
you blame us boys for following the example of our betters? At any rate
we did follow it. First there was the great school lottery, where the
first prize was six or seven pounds; then each house had one or more
separate lotteries. These were all nominally voluntary, no boy being
compelled to put in his shilling who didn't choose to do so. But besides
Flashman, there were three or four other fast, sporting young gentlemen
in the Schoolhouse, who considered subscription a matter of duty and
necessity; and so, to make their duty come easy to the small
boys, quietly secured the allowances in a lump when given out for
distribution, and kept them. It was no use grumbling--so many fewer
tartlets and apples were eaten and fives balls bought on that Saturday;
and after locking-up, when the money would otherwise have been spent,
consolation was carried to many a small boy by the sound of the
night-fags shouting along the passages, "Gentlemen sportsmen of the
School-house; the lottery's going to be drawn in the hall." It was
pleasant to be called a g