f a plight.

After breakfast, therefore, he took a hansom, and drove to Mr.
Lambert's office. The worthy money-lender received him at once, and
with no less delay began to deny with every appearance of honest
indignation that he had been paid the debt. Sir Tancred grew
exceedingly disagreeable; he set forth with perfect frankness his
opinion of Mr. Lambert's character, declared that he would rather go to
that uncomfortable abode of contemptuous debtors, Holloway, than be
swindled in so barefaced a fashion; and exclaiming, "You may go to your
native Jericho, before I pay you a farthing, you thieving rascal!" went
out of the office, and banged the door behind him.

The worthy money-lender smiled an uncomfortable and malignant smile at
the banged door, and at once gave instructions to his manager to take
proceedings. Sir Tancred explained the transaction to Tinker; warned
him against laxness in matters of business; prepared for immediate
flight; and they caught the midnight mail from Euston. By the time an
indefatigable bailiff had ascertained next day that they had left
London, they were eating their dinner, in a secure peace, at Ardrochan
Lodge in Ardrochan forest, which Sir Tancred had borrowed for the while
from his friend Lord Crosland.

Hildebrand Anne was used to long periods unenlivened by companions of
his own age; and he began forthwith to make the best of the forest.
Some days he stalked the red deer with his father; some days were
devoted to his education, fencing, boxing, and gymnastics; and on the
others he explored the forest on a shaggy pony. It was of a
comfortable size, forty square miles or thereabouts, stretches of wild
heath, broken by strips of wood, craggy hills, and swamps, full of
streams, and abounding in many kinds of animals. It was an admirable
place for Indians, outlaws, brigands, and robber barons, and Tinker
practised all these professions in turn, with the liveliest
satisfaction.

At first it was something of a tax on his imagination to be a whole
band of these engaging persons himself; with one companion it would
have been easy enough, but his imagination presently compassed the
task. And when he found his way to the Deil's Den, a low stone tower
on a hill some six miles from Ardrochan, his favourite occupation was
that of robber baron. It would have been more proper to put the tower
to its old use of a lair of a Highland cateran; but, to his shame,
Tinker funked the dialect w