Tom quickly; for he had
already conceived a great attachment towards Lord Claud, and it
irked him to think that men should speak of him as one who was a
false friend, and the accomplice in crimes for which others
suffered whilst he reaped the spoil.

A man, especially in his hot-headed youth, seldom believes what he
has no mind to; and Tom certainly had no disposition to believe any
harm of Lord Claud.

So the talk drifted to other channels, and when presently Rosamund
declared with pretty insistence that she must not be cheated of her
walk abroad in the streets. Tom asked if he might make one of the
party without intruding; and the bright eyes of the girl gave
eloquent answer.

So they sallied forth together, and Master Cale played cicerone,
and showed Tom many strange and wonderful things, telling him
absorbing stories the while. He showed him the limits of the
ravages of the Great Fire, which he could remember well, as he was
ten years old at the time. He took them into many of the churches
afterwards built by Wren, and Tom stood lost in amaze at the
magnificent proportions of the great St. Paul's, the inside of
which he had not seen till today. He was shown also the site of one
of the Great Plague pits; and Rosamund clung trembling, yet
fascinated, to her father's arm whilst he spoke of the things that
had happened in those gruesome days.

He himself had been sent away into the country during the terrible
visitation; but his father had remained and had survived, and from
him he had learned all manner of strange tales, which Rosamund
loved to hear him tell, though they always blanched her cheek, and
brought a look of terror into her pretty eyes.

Tom thought this was a pleasanter way of spending the afternoon
than listening to the braggings of the coffee house bullies, or
watching the mummery of the play, when scarce a word could be heard
from the actors, owing to the laughter and talk that buzzed all
round the house. The clamour from the footmen's gallery alone
almost sufficed to drown the sound from the stage; and, indeed, a
short time later on, the disgraceful behaviour of the servants who
attended their masters and mistresses to the play became so
intolerable that the free gallery was closed to them, causing
regular riots every night, till military aid had to be summoned.

But Rosamund thought it must be delightful to see a play, and
wanted to hear all he could tell her about it; and so well pleased
wer