about the hobs on
my boots. Two of them are clean out, and all the rest are beginning to
get worn already. Anyhow, I sold the coach people by walking. They
thought I was bound to drive, but I didn't. Wouldn't have minded it,
though, once or twice between Windermere and here, for of course I'm not
in training yet.

Hope this inn isn't a dear one. It's the smallest I could find in the
place, and I don't think they're likely to charge for attendance; if
they do, it'll be a swindle, for I ordered eggs and bacon an hour ago,
and they've not come yet. I wonder what they'll charge for the eggs and
bacon. Suppose there are two eggs, that'll be 2 pence; and a slice of
bacon, 2 pence; bread, 1 penny; tea, 1 penny; that's 7 pence; oughtn't
to be more than 10 pence at the outside.

Ah, here it comes.

Good supper it was, too, and not much left at the end.

Mean to do Scafell to-morrow. Highest mountain in England, guide-book
says. Two fellows in the inn are going, too; but I don't intend to hang
on to them, as they seem to think no end of themselves. They're
Cambridge fellows, and talk as if they could do anything. I'd like to
take the shine out of them.

Tuesday, 8 a.m.--Just fancy, the swindlers here charged me 2 shillings
for that tea, 2 shillings 6 pence for my bed, and 1 shilling for
attendance--5 shillings 6 pence! I call it robbery, and told them so,
and said they needn't suppose they could take _me_ in. They said it was
the usual charge, and they didn't make any difference for small boys, as
they found they ate quite as much as grown-up people. The two Cambridge
fellows seemed to find something to laugh at in this, and one of them
said I didn't mind being taken in, but I didn't like being taken in and
done for. I suppose he thought this was a joke. Some idiots can grin
at anything.

I told the hotel people I should certainly not pay for attendance, as I
didn't consider I had had any. The waiter said very well, my boots
would do as well, and they would keep them till I settled the bill, and
they had no time to stand fooling about with a whipper-snapper. Of
course I had to shell out, as my boots were worth more than the whole
bill--although my bootmaker has taken me in pretty well over the
hobnails. I told them I should take good care to tell every one what
sort of people they were, and I wouldn't have any breakfast there to pay
them out.

Fancy this made them look rather blue, but the lesson will