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friend　the　General；whom　I　had　known　for　five　minutes；　in　the

course　of　which　period　he　had　made　me　intimate　for　life　with　two

Majors；　who　again　had　made　me　intimate　for　life　with　three　Colonels；

who　again　had　made　me　brother　to　twenty…two　civilians；again；　I

say；　I　listened　to　my　friend　the　General；　leisurely　expounding　the

resources　of　the　establishment；　as　to　gentlemen's　morning…room；　sir；

ladies'　morning…room；　sir；　gentlemen's　evening…room；　sir；　ladies'

evening…room；　sir；　ladies'　and　gentlemen's　evening　reuniting…room；

sir；　music…room；　sir；　reading…room；　sir；　over　four　hundred　sleeping…

rooms；　sir；　and　the　entire　planned　and　finited　within　twelve

calendar　months　from　the　first　clearing　off　of　the　old　encumbrances

on　the　plot；　at　a　cost　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　sir。　　Again

I　found；　as　to　my　individual　way　of　thinking；　that　the　greater；　the

more　gorgeous；　and　the　more　dollarous　the　establishment　was；　the

less　desirable　it　was。　　Nevertheless；　again　I　drank　my　cobbler；

julep；　sling；　or　cocktail；　in　all　good…will；　to　my　friend　the

General；　and　my　friends　the　Majors；　Colonels；　and　civilians　all；

full　well　knowing　that；　whatever　little　motes　my　beamy　eyes　may　have

descried　in　theirs；　they　belong　to　a　kind；　generous；　large…hearted；

and　great　people。



I　had　been　going　on　lately　at　a　quick　pace　to　keep　my　solitude　out

of　my　mind；　but　here　I　broke　down　for　good；　and　gave　up　the　subject。

What　was　I　to　do？　　What　was　to　become　of　me？　　Into　what　extremity

was　I　submissively　to　sink？　　Supposing　that；　like　Baron　Trenck；　I

looked　out　for　a　mouse　or　spider；　and　found　one；　and　beguiled　my

imprisonment　by　training　it？　　Even　that　might　be　dangerous　with　a

view　to　the　future。　　I　might　be　so　far　gone　when　the　road　did　come

to　be　cut　through　the　snow；　that；　on　my　way　forth；　I　might　burst

into　tears；　and　beseech；　like　the　prisoner　who　was　released　in　his

old　age　from　the　Bastille；　to　be　taken　back　again　to　the　five

windows；　the　ten　curtains；　and　the　sinuous　drapery。



A　desperate　idea　came　into　my　head。　　Under　any　other　circumstances　I

should　have　rejected　it；　but；　in　the　strait　at　which　I　was；　I　held

it　fast。　　Could　I　so　far　overcome　the　inherent　bashfulness　which

withheld　me　from　the　landlord's　table　and　the　company　I　might　find

there；　as　to　call　up　the　Boots；　and　ask　him　to　take　a　chair；and

something　in　a　liquid　form；and　talk　to　me？　　I　could；　I　would；　I

did。







SECOND　BRANCHTHE　BOOTS







Where　had　he　been　in　his　time？　he　repeated；　when　I　asked　him　the

question。　　Lord；　he　had　been　everywhere！　　And　what　had　he　been？

Bless　you；　he　had　been　everything　you　could　mention　a'most！



Seen　a　good　deal？　　Why；　of　course　he　had。　　I　should　say　so；　he　could

assure　me；　if　I　only　knew　about　a　twentieth　part　of　what　had　come　in

his　way。　　Why；　it　would　be　easier　for　him；　he　expected；　to　tell　what

he　hadn't　seen　than　what　he　had。　　Ah！　　A　deal；　it　would。



What　was　the　curiousest　thing　he　had　seen？　　Well！　　He　didn't　know。

He　couldn't　momently　name　what　was　the　curiousest　thing　he　had　seen…

…unless　it　was　a　Unicorn；　and　he　see　him　once　at　a　Fair。　　But

supposing　a　young　gentleman　not　eight　year　old　was　to　run　away　with

a　fine　young　woman　of　seven；　might　I　think　that　a　queer　start？

Certainly。　　Then　that　was　a　start　as　he　himself　had　had　his　blessed

eyes　on；　and　he　had　cleaned　the　shoes　they　run　away　inand　they　was

so　little　that　he　couldn't　get　his　hand　into　'em。



Master　Harry　Walmers'　father；　you　see；　he　lived　at　the　Elmses；　down

away　by　Shooter's　Hill　there；　six　or　seven　miles　from　Lunnon。　　He

was　a　gentleman　of　spirit；　and　good…looking；　and　held　his　head　up

when　he　walked；　and　had　what　you　may　call　Fire　about　him。　　He　wrote

poetry；　and　he　rode；　and　he　ran；　and　he　cricketed；　and　he　danced；

and　he　acted；　and　he　done　it　all　equally　beautiful。　　He　was　uncommon

proud　of　Master　Harry　as　was　his　only　child；　but　he　didn't　spoil　him

neither。　　He　was　a　gentleman　that　had　a　will　of　his　own　and　a　eye　of

his　own；　and　that　would　be　minded。　　Consequently；　though　he　made

quite　a　companion　of　the　fine　bright　boy；　and　was　delighted　to　see

him　so　fond　of　reading　his　fairy　books；　and　was　never　tired　of

hearing　him　say　my　name　is　Norval；　or　hearing　him　sing　his　songs

about　Young　May　Moons　is　beaming　love；　and　When　he　as　adores　thee

has　left　but　the　name；　and　that；　still　he　kept　the　command　over　the

child；　and　the　child　was　a　child；　and　it's　to　be　wished　more　of　'em

was！



How　did　Boots　happen　to　know　all　this？　　Why；　through　being　under…

gardener。　　Of　course　he　couldn't　be　under…gardener；　and　be　always

about；　in　the　summer…time；　near　the　windows　on　the　lawn；　a　mowing；

and　sweeping；　and　weeding；　and　pruning；　and　this　and　that；　without

getting　acquainted　with　the　ways　of　the　family。　　Even　supposing

Master　Harry　hadn't　come　to　him　one　morning　early；　and　said；　〃Cobbs；

how　should　you　spell　Norah；　if　you　was　asked？〃　and　then　began

cutting　it　in　print　all　over　the　fence。



He　couldn't　say　he　had　taken　particular　notice　of　children　before

that；　but　really　it　was　pretty　to　see　them　two　mites　a　going　about

the　place　together；　deep　in　love。　　And　the　courage　of　the　boy！

Bless　your　soul；　he'd　have　throwed　off　his　little　hat；　and　tucked　up

his　little　sleeves；　and　gone　in　at　a　Lion；　he　would；　if　they　had

happened　to　meet　one；　and　she　had　been　frightened　of　him。　　One　day

he　stops；　along　with　her；　where　Boots　was　hoeing　weeds　in　the

gravel；　and　says；　speaking　up；　〃Cobbs；〃　he　says；　〃I　like　you。〃　　〃Do

you；　sir？　　I'm　proud　to　hear　it。〃　　〃Yes；　I　do；　Cobbs。　　Why　do　I　like

you；　do　you　think；　Cobbs？〃　　〃Don't　know；　Master　Harry；　I　am　sure。〃

〃Because　Norah　likes　you；　Cobbs。〃　　〃Indeed；　sir？　　That's　very

gratifying。〃　　〃Gratifying；　Cobbs？　　It's　better　than　millions　of　the

brightest　diamonds　to　be　liked　by　Norah。〃　　〃Certainly；　sir。〃

〃You're　going　away；　ain't　you；　Cobbs？〃　　〃Yes；　sir。〃　　〃Would　you　like

another　situation；　Cobbs？〃　　〃Well；　sir；　I　shouldn't　object；　if　it

was　a　good　Inn。〃　　〃Then；　Cobbs；〃　says　he；　〃you　shall　be　our　Head

Gardener　when　we　are　married。〃　　And　he　tucks　her；　in　her　little　sky…

blue　mantle；　under　his　arm；　and　walks　away。



Boots　could　assure　me　that　it　was　better　than　a　picter；　and　equal　to

a　play；　to　see　them　babies；　with　their　long；　bright；　curling　hair；

their　sparkling　eyes；　and　their　beautiful　light　tread；　a　rambling

about　the　garden；　deep　in　love。　　Boots　was　of　opinion　that　the　birds

believed　they　was　birds；　and　kept　up　with　'em；　singing　to　please

'em。　　Sometimes　they　would　creep　under　the　Tulip…tree；　and　would　sit

there　with　their　arms　round　one　another's　necks；　and　their　soft

cheeks　touching；　a　reading　about　the　Prince　and　the　Dragon；　and　the

good　and　bad　enchanters；　and　the　king's　fair　daughter。　　Sometimes　he

would　hear　them　planning　about　having　a　house　in　a　forest；　keeping

bees　and　a　cow；　and　living　entirely　on　milk　and　honey。　　Once　he　came

upon　them　by　the　pond；　and　heard　Master　Harry　say；　〃Adorable　Norah；

kiss　me；　and　say　you　love　me　to　distraction；　or　I'll　jump　in　head…

foremost。〃　　And　Boots　made　no　question　he　would　have　done　it　if　she

hadn't　complied。　　On　the　whole；　Boots　said　it　had　a　tendency　to　make

him　feel　as　if　he　was　in　love　himselfonly　he　didn't　exactly　know

who　with。



〃Cobbs；〃　said　Master　Harry；　one　evening；　when　Cobbs　was　watering　the

flowers；　〃I　am　going　on　a　visit；　this　present　Midsummer；　to　my

grandmamma's　at　York。〃



〃Are　you　indeed；　sir？　　I　hope　you'll　have　a　pleasant　time。　　I　am

going　into　Yorkshire；　myself；　when　I　leave　here。〃



〃Are　you　going　to　your　grandmamma's；　Cobbs？〃



〃No；　sir。　　I　haven't　got　such　a　thing。〃



〃Not　as　a　grandmamma；　Cobbs？〃



〃No；　sir。〃



The　boy　looked　on　at　the　watering　of　the　flowers　for　a　little　while；

and　then　said；　〃I　shall　be　very　glad　indeed　to　go；　Cobbs；Norah's

going。〃



〃You'll　be　all　right　then；　sir；〃　says　Cobbs；　〃with　your　beautiful

sweetheart　by　your　side。〃



〃Cobbs；〃　returned　the　boy；　flushing；　〃I　never　let　anybody　joke　about

it；　when　I　can　prevent　them。〃



〃It　wasn't　a　joke；　sir；〃　says　Cobbs；　with　humility；〃wasn't　so

meant。〃



〃I　am　glad　of　that；　Cobbs；　because　I　like　you；　you　know；　and　you're

going　to　live　with　us。Cobbs！〃



〃Sir。〃



〃What　do　you　think　my　grandmamma　gives　me　when　I　go　down　there？〃



〃I　couldn't　so　much　as　make　a　guess；　sir。〃



〃A　Bank　of　England　five…pound　note；　Cobbs。〃



〃Whew！〃　says　Cobbs；　〃that's　a　spanking　sum　of　money；　Master　Harry。〃



〃A　person　could　do　a　good　deal　with　such　a　sum　of　money　as　that；

couldn't　a　person；　Cobbs？〃



〃I　believe　you；　sir！〃



〃Cobbs；〃　said　the　boy；　〃I'll　tell　you　a　secret。　　At　Norah's　house；

they　have　been　joking　her　about　me；　and　pretending　to　laugh　at　our

being　engaged；pretending　to　make　game　of　it；　Cobbs！〃



〃Such；　sir；〃　says　Cobbs；　〃is　the　depravity　of　human　natur。〃



The　boy；　looking　exactly　like　his　father；　stood　for　a　few　minutes

with　his　glowing　face　towards　the　sunset；　an