the oldest son of Mr. Fleming came into the shop, for some turn-backs—shaving brushes similar to the one I was waiting for. He saw me and recognised me. 'Hollo, Dav.! is that you? Where do you live now?' 'Never you mind,' said I. And, having got my brush, and paid the money, he asked Mr. Harris, as I was afterwards told, where I lived; and Mr. H., instead of telling him at Mr. Batley's, Holborn, told him Batcourt, Holborn. He, of course, told his father, but no Batcourt was to be found in Holborn. Fleming, however, was resolved to recover me; and one morning, when I was opening shop, he saw me, collared me, and carried me off. I was dreadfully afraid, and cried bitterly; but when people asked what was the matter, he told them I was a lazy young rascal, and was his apprentice, and had run away from him, and he was going to a constable to take me before a magistrate. And to a constable he brought me. This man's name was Gilmour; he lived in a court at Wood Street, Westminster. Mr. Fleming gave him an account of me as a most depraved and lazy young rascal, more fond of reading play books, and such like stuff, than of making brushes, and concluded with requesting Mr. Gilmour to take me before a magistrate. Mr. Gilmour eyed me very closely, but seemed not so severe as my master wished.

'Well,' says the constable, 'I must take you to Queen Square, and the magistrate will soon tell you what you must do. Now, have had you your breakfast? No, sir, not yet.' 'Then you shall get a breakfast before you go, any way,' said he; and he got me a breakfast, and made me eat it, too, much to the surprise of my master. When I had finished, he showed me a pocket pistol, and he loaded it before my eyes, and then said: "Now, if you run away while under my charge, I will shoot you; but if you will walk quietly to the office, you shall go without being handcuffed, and nobody will know that you are in charge.' I told him I would walk quietly, and I did so. I was very much terrified; I had never

been in a police office before, and I expected to be sent to prison.

Mr. Colquhoun sat on the bench, and the constable introduced me to the magistrate by saying-A runaway apprentice, your worship.' 'Where is the master?' He was pointed out. 'What was the reason of your running away, boy?' said the magistrate. He was always beating me, sir, and swearing at me, and threatening to be the death of me.' 'Hah! where did you get this boy from?' 'From the Green Coat School,' said my master. 'Take the boy into the Inner Office,' said the magistrate. And, Gilmour, you go to Mr. Pollard, and with my compliments request his immediate attendance.' The officer went on his errand, and in a very little time I was again ordered into the public office.

'Do you know that boy, Mr. Pollard ?' said the magistrate.

'Yes, he was educated at our Foundation.'

'And how did he conduct himself?'

'A good boy in everything but one.'

'And what was that?'

'He would not or he could not write well.' 'Is that all?'

'Yes, in everything else he was a good boy-an orphan, without father and mother.'

'Now,' said the magistrate, turning to my master, 'you hear what is said of him. The boy complains of cruel usage are you willing to use him better if he returns?' Mr. Fleming replied, 'He has always been used better than he deserved; but this is always the way when a boy gets education; he is saucy and lazy, and thinks he knows more than his master, and can do just as he likes. Now here am I obliged to work hard, and can neither write nor read, obliged to be snubbed by such a young rascal as this. But if he behaves himself he will get no ill usage

from me.'

'On that condition he must return,' said the magistrate. He then told me how wrong I had done in leaving my

master's service, that I ought to have gone to Mr. Pollard or to the college solicitor, or to him; but I hope you will do better for the future, and if your master again uses you ill, come here and we'll see you righted.'

I recollect these last words as if they were spoken but yesterday, and yet I so hated and dreaded my master that I made up my mind to leave him again the very first opportunity. But I then left the office. The friendly officer told me to be a good boy and give him no more trouble. I returned to my drudgery.

Great was the rejoicing at my capture. Every one of the family thought to please the master by sneering at and abusing me. In particular, one of my master's brothers, who was in the same business with himself, told me, had he been my master, he would soon have drill-bowed me (beat me with a stick) into submission. I told him he was not my master, and I would not submit to his abuse.

'Hold your saucy tongue,' said he, 'unless you want a bone at your head.' At which I was so exasperated that I snatched up a large bone myself, and placing myself in an attitude of defence, assured him, if he dared to touch me, I would retaliate. He thought better of it, and I threw the bone down again. All this time my master was present, but he said nothing, and for a week or two he seemed to have determined upon better usage. But the bone journeys again began, and with them began my thrashings, until in a month or two I was used quite as badly as before. I repaired again to my cousin, and he again counselled me to abscond; and at length I took advantage of another Sunday, and, without going either to Mr. Pollard or the magistrate, went to my cousin, who received me with his former kindness.

This time I sought quite a different situation. I was, as I have said, very small and very young looking. Many people took me for not more than twelve years of age. I passed for fourteen without question. My cousin took me to a Register Office and entered me for a lady's

page, with a wish, if it were practicable, to get me a situation in the country. Never shall I forget the kindness with which I was treated by this good man and his wife. All the time that I was out of a situation I remained concealed at his house; so great was the dread I had of recapture, that I could not sleep at night. I started frequently in my sleep, exclaiming, 'He has got me again, cousin ; O save me! save me!' Even to this day, when anything seriously affects or agitates me, I dream of him, of his cruel beatings, of his horrid language, of his threats to murder me. But to return : One morning, after I had been about a month at my cousin's, I was sent for to the Register Office, and told of a situation at Bedford Lodge, Blackheath, where I was immediately to proceed to see the lady. Glad enough was I to go, and glad enough was my cousin, and the hopes of both were raised.

none.

I

On my arrival at the heath, I soon found the house, and was ushered into the presence of a very stout lady. She asked me, if I had ever been in service before? replied, I had not. Where were my parents. I had With whom did I live? A cousin. What was his employment? He was engaged in the East India Company's tea warehouse. His name? I told her. My name? I told her also. What wages did I expect, if she found on inquiry that my cousin's character was good? I replied, that as I had never been out in service before, I would leave it with her. She then gave me her card to take to my cousin ; on it was engraved, 'The Rt. Hon. the Countess de Byland.' She told me she would make inquiry into the character of my cousin, and if it was good, I should hear from her. To the great joy of myself and of my cousin, in two days I received a communication that his character was satisfactory, and that I was immediately to proceed to Bedford Lodge. I was to receive £10 a year, my clothes, and board and lodging of course. My business was to attend to the lady, to keep her private apartment in order, see to her fire,

and attend her if she went out, and, in short, to be her page, and do whatever she required. My cousin fervently thanked God for this good appointment. To me it appeared as rising from the depths of misery to the summit of happiness. It was at a distance, too, from my persea place he was never likely to reach, and I felt in my mind, that I should at length be secure from his malice and cruelty.

cutor

I may here offer my tribute of gratitude to my cousin, who shortly after I had obtained the appointment departed this life. He was kind to me to the last, and on his death bed commended me to the care of his wife, who treated me with equal kindness till her death. I can

truly say of them both, that the blessing of him who was ready to perish came from my heart upon them, and their affection for a poor orphan boy, though I could never repay, is, I am sure, paid by a higher power.

Well, I proceeded to my new place. Accustomed as I had been to the most wanton cruelty and oppression, my new position was as Elysium. But I was no sooner domesticated, than I was told by the other servants that three months was the utmost time any page could live with the countess, and indeed that in general no servant remained a longer time. My previous sufferings, however, had prepared me to endure much, and the prophecies of the other servants were falsified in my case. But I must not anticipate.

I had been in my service about a week, when the count returned from Holland. He was a person of a tall and spare habit, very poor, and the countess had married him merely for his title. He was completely under the control of the lady. Whatever she requested him to do, he never for a moment hesitated. He was lampooned sadly in the kitchen, and his broken English was a never failing source of amusement to the cook and kitchen maids. The great fault of the countess was penuriousness, and she exposed the count to many indignities from the servants. I recollect one evening, when