o much beer," replied my
mother.

"Deary me, what can have become of my needle?" exclaimed my grandmother,
turning round.

"Here it is, ma'am," said Ben, who perceived it sticking in her skirt.
"That's Percival's work, I'll answer for it."

My granny received the needle from Ben, and then turned to me: "You
good-for-nothing boy; so you put the needle there, did you? pretending
to look for it all the while; you shall go to school, sir, that you
shall."

"You said a needle, granny; I was looking for a needle: you didn't say
your knitting-pin; I could have told you where that was."

"Yes, yes, those who hide can find; to school you go, or I'll not stay
in the house."

Ben took the tea-tray out of the room. He had been well drilled in and
out of barracks.

"I'll go down in the kitchen to father," cried I, for I was tired of
sitting still.

"No, you won't, sir," said my mother, "you naughty boy; the kitchen is
not the place for you, and if ever I hear of you smoking a pipe again--"

"Captain Bridgeman smokes," replied I.

"Yes, sir, he smokes cigars; but a child like you must not smoke a
pipe."

"And now come here, sir," said my granny, who had the lid of her
snuff-box off, and held it open in her hand; "what have you been doing
with my snuff?"

"Why, granny, have I had your snuff-box the whole day?"

"How should I know?--a boy like you, with every finger a fish-hook; I do
believe you have; I only wish I could find you out. I had fresh snuff
this morning."

"Perhaps they made a mistake at the shop, mother," said aunt Milly;
"they are very careless."

"Well, I can't tell: I must have some more; I can't take this."

"Throw it in the fire, granny," said I; "and I'll run with the box and
get it full again."

"Well, I suppose it's the best thing I can do," replied the old woman,
who went to the grate, and leaning over, poured the snuff out on the
live coals. The result was a loud explosion and a volume of smoke,
which burst out of the grate into her face--the dinner and lappets
singed, her spectacles lifted from her nose, and her face as black as a
sweep's. The old woman screamed, and threw herself back; in so doing,
she fell over the chair upon which she had been sitting, and, somehow or
another, tripped me up, and lay with all her weight upon me. I had been
just attempting to make my escape during the confusion--for my mother
and Milly were equally frightened--when I found myself completely
smother