added he, with a sigh, "he'd give
me a taste of it, for its 'ard, up-'ill work makin' ends meet,
particular when a man's deceived by parties. No matter. I'll pull
through; you see!"

Stephen once more did not feel called upon to pursue this line of
conversation, and therefore changed the subject.

"Oh, Mr Cripps, how much is that bat?"

"Bat! Bless me if I hadn't nearly forgot all about it. Ain't it a
beauty, now?"

"Yes, pretty well," said Stephen, whose friends had one and all abused
the bat, and who was himself a little disappointed in his expectations.

"Pretty well! I like that. You must be a funny cricketer, young
gentleman, to call that bat only pretty well. I suppose you want me to
take _that_ back, too?" and here Mr Cripps looked very fierce.

"Oh, no," said Stephen, hurriedly. "I only want to know what I am to
pay for it."

"Oh, come now, we needn't mind about that. That'll keep, you know. As
if I wanted the money. Ha, ha!"

Even a green boy like Stephen could not fail to wonder why, if Mr
Cripps was as hard up as he had just described himself, he should now be
so anxious to represent himself as not in want of money.

"Please, I want to know the price."

"As if I was a-going to name prices to a young gentleman like you!
Please yourself about it. I shall not be disappointed if you gives me
only eighteenpence, and if _you_ thinks twelve bob is handsome, well,
let it be. _I_ can struggle on somehow."

This was uncomfortable for Stephen, who, too green, fortunately, to
comprehend the drift of Mr Cripps's gentle hints, again asked that he
would name a price.

This time Mr Cripps answered more precisely.

"Well, that there bat is worth a guinea, if you want to know, but I'll
say a sovereign for cash down."

Stephen whistled a long-drawn whistle of dismay.

"A sovereign! I can't pay all that! I thought it would be about seven
shillings!"

"Did you? You may think what you like, but that's my price, and you are
lucky to get it at that."

"I shall have to send it back. I can't afford so much," said Stephen,
despondingly.

"Not if I know it! I'll have none of your second-hand bats, if I know
it. Come, young gentleman, I may be a poor man, but I'm not a fool, and
you'll find it out if I've any of your nonsense. Do you suppose I've
nothing to do but wait on jackanapeses like you and your mates? No
error! There you are. That'll do, and if you don't like it--well, the
governor