little Runaway Schoolboy that had turned Sweep,
than of the Little Gentleman that was wont to be a Patron to his
Grandmother's lacqueys in Hanover Square.

"Keep thy piece of Gold," he answers, with a smile. "Thou shalt pay thy
footing soon enough. Or wilt thou go forth with thy Guinea and spend it,
and be taken by thy Schoolmaster to be whipped, perchance to death?"

I replied that I had the much rather stay with him, and the Gentlemen.

"The less said of the 'Gentlemen' the better. However, 'tis all one: we
are all Gentlemen at the Stag o' Tyne. Even thou art a Gentleman, little
Ragamuff."

"I am a Gentleman of long descent; and my fathers have fought and bled
for the True King; and Norman blood's better than German puddle-mud," I
replied, repeating well-nigh Mechanically that which my dear Kinswoman
had said to me, and Instilled into me many and many a time. In my
degraded Slavery, I had _well_-nigh forgotten the proud old words; but
only once it chanced that they had risen up unbidden, when I was flouted
and jeered at as Little Boy Jack by my schoolmates. Heaven help us, how
villanously cruel are children to those who are of their own age and
Poor and Friendless! What is it that makes young hearts so Hard? The
boys Derided and mocked me more than ever for that I said I was a
Gentleman; and by and by comes Gnawbit, and beats me black and blue--ay,
and gory too--with a furze-stub, for telling of Lies, as he falsely
said, the Ruffian.

"Well," resumed Captain Night, "thou shalt stay with us, young
Gentleman. But weigh it soberly, boy," he continued. "Thou art old
enough to know black from white, and brass from gold. Be advised; know
what we Blacks are. We are only Thieves that go about stealing the
King's Deer in Charlwood Chase."

I told him that I would abide by him and his Company; and with a grim
smile he clapped me on the shoulder, and told me that now indeed I was a
Gentleman Black, and Forest Free.

FOOTNOTES:

[K] "_My_ Flag" in the original MS.; but I put it down as a slip of the
pen, and altered it--G. A. S.

[L] Madam Drum, so far as I can make out the _argot_ of the day, here
insinuated that her opponent had been corrected at the cart's tail for
stealing swords out of the scabbards, and conveying wigs from the heads
of their owners, two crimes which have become obsolete since the Quality
have ceased to wear swords and periwigs.--G. A. S.

CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.

THE HISTORY OF MOTHER DRUM.