ock of the finest cloth, came slowly out. He had evidently
heard nothing of the message, and was taken by surprise when Ambrose,
doffing his cap and bowing low, gave him the greeting of the Warden of
Saint Elizabeth's and the letter.

"Hum! Ha! My good friend--Fielder--I remember him. He was always a
scholar. So he hath sent thee here with his commendations. What should
I do with all the idle country lads that come up to choke London and
feed the plague? Yet stay--that lurdane Bolt is getting intolerably
lazy and insolent, and methinks he robs me! What canst do, thou
stripling?"

"I can read Latin, sir, and know the Greek alphabeta."

"Tush! I want no scholar more than enough to serve my mass. Canst
sing?"

"Not now; but I hope to do so again."

"When I rid me of Bolt there--and there's an office under the sacristan
that he might fill as well as another knave--the fellow might do for me
well enow as a body servant," said Mr Alworthy, speaking to himself.
"He would brush my gowns and make my bed, and I might perchance trust
him with my marketings, and by and by there might be some office for him
when he grew saucy and idle. I'll prove him on mine old comrade's
word."

"Sir," said Ambrose, respectfully, "what I seek for is occasion for
study. I had hoped you could speak to the Dean, Dr John Colet, for
some post at his school."

"Boy," said Alworthy, "I thought thee no such fool! Why crack thy
brains with study when I can show thee a surer path to ease and
preferment? But I see thou art too proud to do an old man a service.
Thou writst thyself gentleman, forsooth, and high blood will not stoop."

"Not so, sir," returned Ambrose, "I would work in any way so I could
study the humanities, and hear the Dean preach. Cannot you commend me
to his school?"

"Ha!" exclaimed the canon, "this is your sort, is it? I'll have nought
to do with it! Preaching, preaching! Every idle child's head is agog
on preaching nowadays! A plague on it! Why can't Master Dean leave it
to the black friars, whose vocation 'tis, and not cumber us with his
sermons for ever, and set every lazy lad thinking he must needs run
after them? No, no, my good boy, take my advice. Thou shalt have two
good bellyfuls a day, all my cast gowns, and a pair of shoes by the
year, with a groat a month if thou wilt keep mine house, bring in my
meals, and the like, and by and by, so thou art a good lad, and runst
not after these new-fangled p