ere
lounging. In the doorway itself stood a very fine youth, at least
he was fine as to his raiment, although he wore no wig and was but
an apprentice of better figure and deportment than most. He was
displaying to the admiring crowd a mighty fine waistcoat of
embroidered satin, worked in gold and colours very cunningly, and
trimmed with a frosted-gold cord of new design and workmanship. It
was this waistcoat, which the young man called the Blenheim vest,
that had attracted the crowd, and Tom could not at first get near
the door, so much chaffering and laughing and rough play was going
on round it.

So he filled up the time by seeking to understand the extraordinary
jargon which was spoken by the young dandies, in which he was not
particularly successful (for in addition to a marvellous assortment
of oaths, they talked a mixture of bad English, worse French, and
vilest Latin), and in examining the signboard which hung out over
the doorway of Master Cale's abode.

This sign had been painted to the perruquier's own design, at a
time when there threatened to be a reaction in favour of natural
hair in place of the monstrous perukes so long worn. The picture
represented a young man clad in all the finery of a fop of Charles
the Second's court, save only the peruke, hanging by his hair from
the limb of a giant oak, with three javelins in his heart, whilst
below sat weeping a man in royal crown and robes; and below this
picture there ran the following legend:

"O Absalom! O Absalom!
O Absalom! my son,
If thou hadst worn a periwig
Thou hadst not been undone."

In the window of the shop was set out an array of the most
wonderfully curled wigs, perfect marvels of the perruquier's art;
and, indeed, the size of the young dandies' heads was a study in
extravagance quite as wonderful in its way as the towers upon the
heads of the ladies.

When presently the group had moved away, and the apprentice in the
fine vest had a moment's leisure, Tom came forward and asked if
Master Cale were within.

The youth regarded him with some insolence of manner, but as he
might be addressing a future customer from the country, he replied
with a show of civility that Master Cale was in the room behind the
shop, curling the perukes of some gentlemen, but that Tom could go
inside and wait if he liked. This he accordingly did, and soon the
apprentice was surrounded by another crowd, and was taking orders
thick and fast for the Blenheim vest.