eads together, and resolved to devote their
ready cash (some four shillings sterling) to redeem such articles as
that sum would cover. Accordingly, they duly attended to bid, and Tom
became the owner of two lots of Diggs' things;--lot 1, price
one-and-threepence, consisting (as the auctioneer remarked) of a
"valuable assortment of old metals," in the shape of a mouse-trap, a
cheese-toaster without a handle, and a saucepan: lot 2, of a villanous
dirty table-cloth and a green-baize curtain; while East for
one-and-sixpence purchased a leather paper-case, with a lock but no key,
once handsome, but now much the worse for wear. But they had still the
point to settle of how to get Diggs to take the things without hurting
his feelings. This they solved by leaving them in his study, which was
never locked when he was out. Diggs, who had attended the auction,
remembered who had bought the lots, and came to their study soon after,
and sat silent for some time, cracking his great red finger-joints. Then
he laid hold of their verses, and began looking over and altering them,
and at last got up, and turning his back to them, said, "You're uncommon
good-hearted little beggars, you two--I value that paper-case; my sister
gave it me last holidays--I won't forget;" and so tumbled out into the
passage, leaving them somewhat embarrassed, but not sorry that he knew
what they had done.

The next morning was Saturday, the day on which the allowances of one
shilling a-week were paid, an important event to spendthrift youngsters;
and great was the disgust amongst the small fry to hear that all the
allowances had been impounded for the Derby lottery. That great event in
the English year, the Derby, was celebrated at Rugby in those days by
many lotteries. It was not an improving custom, I own, gentle reader,
and led to making books and betting and other objectionable results; but
when our great Houses of Palaver think it right to stop the nation's
business on that day, and many of the members bet heavily themselves,
can you blame us boys for following the example of our betters?--at any
rate we did follow it. First there was the great School lottery, where
the first prize was six or seven pounds; then each House had one or more
separate lotteries. These were all nominally voluntary, no boy being
compelled to put in his shilling who didn't choose to do so: but besides
Flashman, there were three or four other fast sporting young gentlemen
in the Sc