tles probably would have gone away nursing his wrath and his
injury, and planning to waylay the kicker on a convenient night. But
neither would have taken a guinea and said no more. Each of these
simple-hearted reprobates was too spirited to take a guinea for a kick
down a staircase.

Any how I had a mind that I could be a gentleman true enough without
the help of Jem and Paddy making fools of themselves. I would worry
them no more.

As I was musing thus my eyes closed from a sense of contented
weariness, but I was aroused a moment later by hearing Paddy address
Jem Bottles in a low voice. "'Tis you who are the cool one, Jem!"
said he with admiration, "trying to make them think you were _him_!"
Here I was evidently indicated by a sideways bob of the head. "Have
you not been seeing the fine ways of him? Sure, be looking at his
stride and his habit of slatting people over the head, and his grand
manners with his food. You are looking more like a candlestick than
you are looking like him. I wonder at you."

"But I befooled them," said Bottles proudly. "I befooled them well. It
was Mr. O'Ruddy here, and Mr. O'Ruddy there, and the handsome wench
she gave me many a glance of her eye, she did."

"Sorrow the day for her, then," responded Paddy, "and if you would be
cozening the girls in the name of _him_ there, he will be cozening
you, and I never doubt it."

"'Twas only a trick to make the time go easy, it was," said Bottles
gloomily. "If you remember, Master Paddy, I have spent the most of my
new service waiting under oak-trees; and I will not be saying that it
rained always, but oft-times it did rain most accursedly."

CHAPTER XVII

We rode on at daybreak. At the first large village I bid a little man
cut Paddy's hair, and although Paddy was all for killing the little
man, and the little man twice ran away, the work was eventually done,
for I stood over Paddy and threatened him. Afterward the little boys
were not so anxious to hoot us through the streets, calling us
Africans. For it must be recalled that at this time there was great
curiosity in the provinces over the Africans, because it was known
that in London people of fashion often had African servants; and
although London cared nothing for the provinces, and the provinces
cared nothing for London, still the rumour of the strange man
interested the country clodhopper so greatly that he called Paddy an
African on principle, in order that he might blow to