hours -- I saw a posse of boys round a stranger, who seemed to be looking out for one of us -- a sudden trembling seized me -- I knew it was Stiffelkind : what had brought him here ? He talked loud, and seemed angry -- so I rushed into the school-room, and, burying my head between my hands, began reading for the dear life.
" ' I vant Lort Cornvallis,' said the horrid bootmaker. * His lortship belongs, I know, to dis honourable school, for I saw him vid de boys at church yesterday.'
"'Lord who?'
'* ' Vy, Lort Cornvallis to be sure -- a very fat young nobleman, vid red hair, he squints a little, and swears dreadfully.'
" ' There's no Lord Cornvallis here,' said one -- and there was a pause.
" ' Stop 1 I have it,' says that odious Bunting. * It must be Stubbs; ' and ' Stubbs! Stubbs! ' every one cried out, while I was BO busy at my book as not to hear a word
" At last, two of the biggest chaps rushed into the school-room, and seizing each an arm, run me into the play-ground -- bolt up against the shoemaker.
" ' Dis is my man -- I beg your lortship's pardon,' says he, ' I have brought your lortship's shoes, vich you left -- see, dey have been in dis parcel ever since you vent away in my boots.'
" * Shoes, fellow!' says I, ' I never saw your face before ;' for I knew there was nothing for it but brazening it out. ' [Tpon the honour of a gentleman, said I, turning round to the boys -- they hesitated; and if the trick had turned in my favour, fifty of them would have seized hold of Stiffelkind, and drubbed him soundly.
" 'Stop!* says Bunting (hang him!), 'let's see the shoes -- if they fit him, why, then, the cobbler's right' -- they did fit me, and not only that, but the name of STUBBS was written in them at full length.
" ' Vat!' said Stiffelkind, ' is he not a lort? so help me himmel, I never did vonce tink of looking at de shoes, which have been lying, ever since, in dis piece of brown paper;' and then gathering anger as he went on, thundered out so much of his abuse of me, in his German-English, that the boys roared with laughter. Swishtail came in in the midst of the disturbance, and asked what the noise meant.
" ' It's only Lord Cornwallis, sir,' said the boys, ' battling with his shoemaker, about the price of a pair of top-boots.'
" ' O, sir,' said I, ' it was only in fun that I called myself Lord Cornwallis.'
" ' In fun! -- Where are the boots ? And you, sir, give me your bill.' My beautiful boots were brought; and Stiffelkind produced his bill. ' Lord Cornwallis to Samuel Stiffelkind, for a pair of boots -- four guineas.'
" ' You have been fool enough, sir,' says the doctor, looking very stern, ' to let this boy impose upon you as a lord; and knave
