y before his death.

"He was visited by several of the clergy and gentry in his cell; among
others, by the Popish priest whom he had robbed, Father O'Flaherty,
before mentioned, who attended him likewise in his last moments (if
that idolatrous worship may be called attention), and likewise by
the Father's patron, the Bavarian Ambassador, his Excellency Count
Maximilian de Galgenstein."

As old Wood came to these words, he paused to give them utterance.

"What! Max?" screamed Mrs. Hayes, letting her ink-bottle fall over her
ledgers.

"Why, be hanged if it ben't my father!" said Mr. Billings.

"Your father, sure enough, unless there be others of his name, and
unless the scoundrel is hanged," said the Doctor--sinking his voice,
however, at the end of the sentence.

Mr. Billings broke his pipe in an agony of joy. "I think we'll have the
coach now, Mother," says he; "and I'm blessed if Polly Briggs shall not
look as fine as a duchess."

"Polly Briggs is a low slut, Tom, and not fit for the likes of you, his
Excellency's son. Oh, fie! You must be a gentleman now, sirrah; and
I doubt whether I shan't take you away from that odious tailor's shop
altogether."

To this proposition Mr. Billings objected altogether; for, besides Mrs.
Briggs before alluded to, the young gentleman was much attached to his
master's daughter, Mrs. Margaret Gretel, or Gretchen Beinkleider.

"No," says he. "There will be time to think of that hereafter, ma'am. If
my pa makes a man of me, why, of course, the shop may go to the deuce,
for what I care; but we had better wait, look you, for something certain
before we give up such a pretty bird in the hand as this."

"He speaks like Solomon," said the Doctor.

"I always said he would be a credit to his old mother, didn't I, Brock?"
cried Mrs. Cat, embracing her son very affectionately. "A credit to her;
ay, I warrant, a real blessing! And dost thou want any money, Tom? for
a lord's son must not go about without a few pieces in his pocket. And I
tell thee, Tommy, thou must go and see his Lordship; and thou shalt
have a piece of brocade for a waistcoat, thou shalt; ay, and the
silver-hilted sword I told thee of; but oh, Tommy, Tommy! have a care,
and don't be a-drawing of it in naughty company at the gaming-houses, or
at the--"

"A drawing of fiddlesticks, Mother! If I go to see my father, I must
have a reason for it; and instead of going with a sword in my hand, I
shall take something else in i