to shuffle, and did not confirm him altogether in his story, I immediately
seized him by the collar, and having tripped up his heels, called for
assistance to search him. This we accomplished with some difficulty, and
having got at his purse, we found it contained _sixteen shillings_ in
silver more. He now changed his tale, and asserted that his father had
given him a _guinea_, which he had changed at Mrs. Hadding's the
pie-woman; that he had purchased five shillings-worth of carraway comfits,
and the sixteen shillings was the remainder of the change.

By the manner of his telling this story it was evidently false. Some of
the boys accordingly kept him in custody, while myself and my friend, who
had first brought me the intelligence, rushed out of the house, regardless
of the consequences, and proceeded as fast as possible to the house of old
Best, either to have this account confirmed or denied. On our reaching the
door we knocked with great authority, and upon the servant's opening it,
we marched in without any ceremony, and demanded an audience of his master
immediately, as we had some very important business with him. The servant
informed him of our visit, and he came out of the parlour to us, and
demanded what business we could have with him at that time of night, it
being then nearly nine o'clock. We first asked if his sons had been home
to dine with him; he answered yes, and that they had left his house
upwards of an hour ago, in order to return to the school, and he wished to
know whether they had not arrived before we left it. We replied that they
had. We then asked him if he had given his son Charles any money; he at
once said, "Certainly not." We then asked him if he had given him a
guinea; he replied, "Certainly not." His mother might have given him
sixpence, but if she did it was without his knowledge. He then returned
into the parlour; and we heard him ask his wife if she had given Charles
any money to-day, the answer was, "No, my dear."