ost him
half-a-crown! Single misfortunes never come alone, they say; so
there's my money and my credit gone, to say nothing of Ballhatchet's
ginger-beer!"

The boy made such absurd faces, that Norman could hardly help laughing,
though he wished to make it a serious affair. "You know, Larkins, I have
given out that such things are not to be. It is a melancholy fact."

"Ay, so you must make an example of me!" said Larkins, pretending to
look resigned. "Better call all the fellows together, hadn't you, and
make it more effective? It would be grateful to one's feelings, you
know; and June," added he, with a ridiculous confidential air, "if
you'll only lay it on soft, I'll take care it makes noise enough. Great
cry, little wool, you know."

"Come with me," said Norman. "I'll take care you are example enough.
What did you give for those articles?"

"Fifteen-pence halfpenny. Rascally dear, isn't it? but the old rogue
makes one pay double for the risk! You are making his fortune, you have
raised his prices fourfold."

"I'll take care of that."

"Why, where are you taking me? Back to him?"

"I am going to gratify your wish to be an example."

"A gibbet! a gibbet" cried Larkins. "I'm to be turned off on the spot
where the crime took place--a warning to all beholders. Only let me send
home for old Neptune's chain, if you please, sir--if you hang me in
the combined watch-chains of the school, I fear they would give way and
defeat the purposes of justice."

They were by this time at the bridge. "Come in," said Norman to his
follower, as he crossed the entrance of the little shop, the first time
he had ever been there. A little cringing shrivelled old man stood up in
astonishment.

"Mr. May! can I have the pleasure, sir?"

"Mr. Ballhatchet, you know that it is contrary to the rules that there
should be any traffic with the school without special permission?"

"Yes, sir--just nothing, sir--only when the young gentlemen come
here, sir--I'm an old man, sir, and I don't like not to oblige a young
gentleman, sir," pleaded the old man, in a great fright.

"Very likely," said Norman, "but I am come to give you fair notice. I
am not going to allow the boys here to be continually smuggling spirits
into the school."

"Spirits! bless you, sir, I never thought of no sich a thing! 'Tis
nothing in life but ginger-beer--very cooling drink, sir, of my wife's
making she had the receipt from her grandmother up in Leicestershire.
Won