ough for all practical purposes. So Stephen hauled down his colours
and prepared to start.

"Look sharp back," said Loman, "and don't let any one see you going out.
Look here, you can get yourself some brandy-balls with this."

Stephen was not philosopher enough to argue with himself why, if he had
leave to go out, he ought to avoid being seen going out. He pocketed
Loman's extra penny complacently, and giving one last longing look in
the direction of the Fourth Junior, slipped quietly out of the school
and made the best of his way down to Maltby.

It was not easy at that time of day to get a paper. Stephen tried half
a dozen stationers' shops, but they were all sold out. They were
evidently more sought after than brandy-balls, of which he had no
difficulty in securing a pennyworth at an early stage of his pilgrimage.
The man in the sweet-shop told him his only chance of getting a paper
was at the railway station.

So to the station he strolled, with a brandy-ball in each cheek. Alas!
the stall was closed for the day.

Stephen did not like to be beaten, but there was nothing for it now but
to give up this "paper-chase," and return to Loman with a report of his
ill-success.

As he trotted back up High Street, looking about everywhere but in the
direction in which he was going (as is the habit of small boys), and
wondering in his heart whether his funds could possibly stand the strain
of another pennyworth of brandy-balls, he suddenly found himself in
sharp collision with a man who expressed himself on the subject of
clumsy boys generally in no very measured terms.

Stephen looked up and saw Mr Cripps the younger standing before him.

"Why!" exclaimed that worthy, giving over his irascible expletives, and
adopting an air of unfeigned pleasure, "why, if it ain't young Master
Greenhorn. Ha, ha! How do, my young bantam? Pretty bobbish, eh?"

Stephen did not know exactly what was meant by "bobbish," but replied
that he was quite well, and sorry he had trodden on Mr Cripps's toes.

"Never mind," said Mr Cripps, magnanimously, "you're a light weight.
And so you're taking a dander down town, are you? looking for lollipops,
eh?"

Stephen blushed very red at this. However had Mr Cripps guessed about
the brandy-balls?

"I came to get a paper for Loman," he said, "but they're all sold out."

"No, are they? I wonder what Mr Loman wants with a paper, now?"

"He said it was very important, and I was to be sure