564 THE LOVE-CHILD. 



ragged regiment of urchins about me, and gave them a glorious 

 scramble. What did / want with halfpence ? /, who was about to 

 be a dog-boy, and wear Squire Patch's livery of blue and silver ! 

 Had Seth Holloway been present, I should scarcely have condescended 

 to pitch into him. The pride of my little heart was aggravated to a 

 crisis by the appearance of Squire Patch's equipage. It came flash- 

 ing and glittering through the beech trees of one of the park drives, 

 which emerged on the brow of the hill. At each side of the road 

 there was a grand lodge the Patch property spreading far away, as 

 well to the right as to the left. 



The carriage, drawn by four horses, the wheelers in reins, and the 

 leaders driven by a postillion, dashed through the open gate on that 

 side from which it approached, and crossing the road, by a masterly 

 manoeuvre, brought its broadside to bear full and close upon the 

 opposite entrance. Two footmen leaped down to open the door, and 

 Squire Patch with three or four of his visitors, alighted, their object 

 being to wind up an artificial mound which commanded a much more 

 extensive prospect than the crest of the Torr could afford. They had 

 scarcely disappeared, when, with a view of shewing off to advantage 

 before my companions, I had the audacity to approach the postillion. 

 He was a lad attributed to the squire's valet, scarcely exceeding my 

 own height, but two or three years older. He was known by the 

 name of " Master James ;" and by that honorable appellative did I 

 address him. The little upstart would not deign to hear me and the 

 boys behind beginning to titter, I ventured to pull him by the spur, 

 for I could reach no higher on account of his being mounted on a 

 Yorkshire bay, at least sixteen, or perhsps sixteen hands and an inch 

 high. Indignant at this, which he construed into an affront, the 

 pampered puppy dexterously dropped his foot out of the stirrup, 

 clung to the mane, and bringing his heel nearly to a level with my 

 forehead, struck out with such vindictive energy, that, receiving his 

 rowel full in my scalp, I fell prostrate but not insensible far 

 from it 



The blow had simply the effect of rendering me so far stupid, that, 

 in my indignation at the insult thus publicly inflicted, I forgot all 

 idea of my promised preferment. Snatching up a stone which lay 

 within my reach, I had no sooner regained a foot and a knee, than I 

 let go at him. But my position, hurry, rage, and a slight swim- 

 ming in the head, rendered the well-intentioned missive so far ineffec- 

 tive, that instead of touching him bang on the cheek-bone, it digressed 

 so much as merely to shatter the nerves of his bridle hand. On this 

 member however the infliction proved particularly keen. He screamed, 

 dropped the reins, leaped off his horse, and before Icould recover my 

 senses and feet, to get into a defensive position, pitched into me, with 

 an impetuosity, that, considering his superior strength, had I been 

 perfectly prepared, I should have found it impossible to withstand. 

 Besides he was armed with a short docker whip, nicely adapted to his 



Eowers, with which he paid away upon me most unmercifully. The 

 ish seemed, intuitively, to discover every hole in my rags, and I 

 writhed on the road in such perfect agony, as not merely to be utterly 

 incapable of making any attempt at defence or escape, but to be wholly 



