must fight for our Tommy. You would have believed him. Even Shovel, who
knew, between the bites, that it was all whoppers, listened as to his
father reading aloud. This was because another boy present half believed
it for the moment also. When he described the eerie darkness of the
butler's pantry, he shivered involuntarily, and he shut his eyes
once--ugh!--that was because he saw the blood spouting out of the
butler. He was turning up his trousers to show the mark of the butler's
boot on his leg when the lady was called away, and then Shovel shook
him, saying: "Darn yer, doesn't yer know as it's all your eye?" which
brought Tommy to his senses with a jerk.

"Sure's death, Shovel," he whispered, in awe, "I was thinking I done it,
every bit!"

Had her ladyship come back she would have found him a different boy. He
remembered now that Elspeth, for whom he had filled his pockets, was
praying for him; he could see her on her knees, saying, "Oh, God, I'se
praying for Tommy," and remorse took hold of him and shook him on his
seat. He broke into one hysterical laugh and then immediately began to
sob. This was the moment when Shovel should have got him quietly out of
the hall.

Members of the society discussing him afterwards with bated breath said
that never till they died could they forget her ladyship's face while he
did it. "But did you notice the boy's own face? It was positively
angelic." "Angelic, indeed; the little horror was intoxicated." No,
there was a doctor present, and according to him it was the meal that
had gone to the boy's head; he looked half starved. As for the
clergyman, he only said: "We shall lose her subscription; I am glad of
it."