recollect my own affairs, I am so busy with looking
after yours."

"Well, but now you are reminded of them, Lionel, you had better give me
the money, and I will send it to him."

At this moment Lady R--stooped from her chair to pick up her
handkerchief. There were some sovereigns lying on the desk, and the
lad, winking his eye at me, took one up, and, as Lady R--rose up, held
it out to her in silence.

"That's right, Lionel," said Lady R--; "I like honesty."

"Yes, madame," replied the impudent rogue, very demurely; "like most
people who tell their own stories, I was born of honest, but poor
parents."

"I believe your parents were honest; and now, Lionel, to reward you, I
shall pay for your boots, and you may keep your sovereign."

"Thank your ladyship," replied the lad. "I forgot to say that the cook
is outside for orders."

Lady R--rose, and went out of the room; and Mr Lionel, laughing at me,
put the sovereign down with the others.

"Now, I call that real honesty. You saw me borrow it, and now you see
me pay it."

"Yes; but suppose her ladyship had not given you the sovereign, how
would it have been then?" said I.

"I should have paid her very honestly," replied he. "If I wished to
cheat her, or rob her, I might do so all day long. She leaves her money
about everywhere, and never knows what she has; besides, if I wanted to
steal, I should not do so with those bright eyes of yours looking at me
all the time."

"You are a very saucy boy," replied I, more amused than angry.

"It's all from reading, and it's not my fault, for her ladyship makes me
read, and I never yet read any book about old times in which the pages
were not saucy; but I've no time to talk just now--my spoons are not
clean yet," so saying he quitted the room.

I did not know whether I ought to inform her ladyship of this freak of
her page's; but, as the money was returned, I thought I had better say
nothing for the present. I soon found out that the lad was correct in
asserting that she was careless of her money, and that, if he chose, he
might pilfer without chance of discovery; and, moreover, that he really
was a good and honest lad, only full of mischief and very impudent;
owing, however, to Lady R--'s treatment of him, for she rather
encouraged his impudence than otherwise. He was certainly a very
clever, witty boy, and a very quick servant; so quick, indeed, at his
work, that it almost appeared as if he never had anything t