BRIGHTON, BATH, AND DOVER ROADS. 233 



more bruising weapon. He had a large school and charged a 

 long price for tuition, yet he was always in debt. If he was 

 worried by creditors or served with a writ he would come down 

 to the school- room, and woe to any unfortunate small boy on 

 whom his eye fell, or whom he called to bring up his verses 

 or theme. We used to think it was his fancy that we stood in 

 the bailiff's shoes. We knew by the twitching of his nose if 

 he had been served with a writ that morning. Like a hawk 

 swooping on a bird did he pounce from his chair, drawing the 

 dreaded weapon simultaneously from his desk ; his left hand 

 was on the boy's collar and his knuckles in the boy's throat 

 before he had time to say ' Oh ! ' and beginning at his heels he 

 whacked him over the tendon Achilles all up the legs and up 

 his back till he could whack no more, and dropped exhausted 

 into his seat ; from thirty to forty blows would he give, too 

 severe a punishment with a thick cane for small boys. 



On one occasion, early in November 1833, I, being then 

 nine years old, had committed the high crime and misdemeanour 

 of ending a pentameter with a three-syllable word, for which 

 the usher caned me at eleven o'clock school. At five o'clock 

 school the Doctor came in I think he must have been served 

 with two writs that day. His eye fell on me. ' Have you been 

 caned to-day ? ' ' Yes, sir.' < What for ? ' I told him. ' What, 

 a three-syllable word again ! Go and fetch my cane.' The 

 usher was a good fellow, though passionate, and said, ' I caned 

 him severely for it.' * Never mind,' said the Doctor, ' he will 

 remember two thrashings better than one.' His hand was on 

 my throat, and I was writhing under his blows for fully three 

 minutes. As he went out of the room he turned and said, 

 'After prayers to-morrow morning you shall have just such 

 another thrashing.' And this threat brings us back to the 

 Wonder coach. 



Before six next morning I woke, dressed in the dark, and 

 started, for I had made up my mind to run away, feeling that I 

 had been quite sufficiently punished for my offence. The gate 

 between the playground and the front approach swung and 



