nking out of pewter
measures which held precisely that quantity.--"Ah!" said Mr. Billings,
drawing breath, and wiping his mouth with his sleeves, "this is very
thin stuff, old Squaretoes; but my coppers have been red-hot since last
night, and they wanted a sluicing."

"Should you like some ale, dear?" said Mrs. Hayes, that fond and
judicious parent.

"A quart of brandy, Tom?" said Doctor Wood. "Your papa will run down to
the cellar for it in a minute."

"I'll see him hanged first!" cried Mr. Hayes, quite frightened.

"Oh, fie, now, you unnatural father!" said the Doctor.

The very name of father used to put Mr. Hayes in a fury. "I'm not his
father, thank Heaven!" said he.

"No, nor nobody else's," said Tom.

Mr. Hayes only muttered "Base-born brat!"

"His father was a gentleman,--that's more than you ever were!" screamed
Mrs. Hayes. "His father was a man of spirit; no cowardly sneak of a
carpenter, Mr Hayes! Tom has noble blood in his veins, for all he has a
tailor's appearance; and if his mother had had her right, she would be
now in a coach-and-six."

"I wish I could find my father," said Tom; "for I think Polly Briggs and
I would look mighty well in a coach-and-six." Tom fancied that if his
father was a count at the time of his birth, he must be a prince now;
and, indeed, went among his companions by the latter august title.

"Ay, Tom, that you would," cried his mother, looking at him fondly.

"With a sword by my side, and a hat and feather there's never a lord at
St. James's would cut a finer figure."

After a little more of this talk, in which Mrs. Hayes let the company
know her high opinion of her son--who, as usual, took care to show
his extreme contempt for his stepfather--the latter retired to his
occupations; the lodger, Mrs. Springatt, who had never said a word all
this time, retired to her apartment on the second floor; and, pulling
out their pipes and tobacco, the old gentleman and the young one solaced
themselves with half-an-hour's more talk and smoking; while the thrifty
Mrs. Hayes, opposite to them, was busy with her books.

"What's in the confessions?" said Mr. Billings to Doctor Wood. "There
were six of 'em besides Mac: two for sheep, four housebreakers; but
nothing of consequence, I fancy."

"There's the paper," said Wood, archly. "Read for yourself, Tom."

Mr. Tom looked at the same time very fierce and very foolish; for,
though he could drink, swear, and fight as well as any lad o