ou
will hear the same person admired in one company, and blamed in another;
so that we must still come round to the same point, _Judge for
yourself_."

Hal's thoughts were, however, at present, too full of the uniform to
allow his judgment to act with perfect impartiality. As soon as their
visit was over, and all the time they walked down the hill from
Prince's-buildings, towards Bristol, he continued to repeat nearly the
same arguments which he had formerly used; respecting necessity, the
uniform, and Lady Diana Sweepstakes.

To all this Mr. Gresham made no reply; and longer had the young
gentleman expatiated upon the subject, which had so strongly seized upon
his imagination, had not his senses been forcibly assailed at this
instant by the delicious odors and tempting sight of certain cakes and
jellies in a pastry-cook's shop.

"Oh, Uncle," said he, as his uncle was going to turn the corner to
pursue the road to Bristol, "look at those jellies!" pointing to a
confectioner's shop; "I must buy some of those good things; for I have
got some half-pence in my pocket."

"Your having half-pence in your pocket is an excellent reason for
eating," said Mr. Gresham, smiling.

"But I really am hungry," said Hal; "you know, Uncle, it is a good while
since breakfast."

His uncle, who was desirous to see his nephews act without restraint,
that he might judge of their characters, bid them do as they pleased.

"Come, then, Ben, if you've any half-pence in your pocket."

"I'm not hungry," said Ben.

"I suppose _that_ means that you've no half-pence," said Hal, laughing,
with the look of superiority which he had been taught to think _the
rich_ might assume towards those who were convicted either of poverty or
economy.

"Waste not, want not," said Ben to himself. Contrary to his cousin's
surmise, he happened to have two pennyworth of half-pence actually in
his pocket.

At the very moment Hal stepped into the pastry-cook's shop, a poor
industrious man, with a wooden leg, who usually sweeps the dirty corner
of the walk which turns at this spot to the Wells, held his hat to Ben,
who, after glancing his eye at the petitioner's well-worn broom,
instantly produced his two-pence. "I wish I had more half-pence for you,
my good man," said he; "but I've only two-pence."

Hal came out of Mr. Millar's, the confectioner's shop, with a hatful of
cakes in his hand.

Mr. Millar's dog was sitting on the flags before the door; and he loo