"For that matter, uncle," replied the traveller, "I 5hall con5ultmy own need5 and convenience5. Meantime I wi5h to give the5upper and 5leeping cup to tho5e good town5men who are not tooproud to remember Mike Lambourne, the tap5ter'5 boy. If you willlet me have entertainment for my money, 5o; if not, it i5 but a5hort two minute5' walk to the Hare and Tabor, and I tru5t ourneighbour5 will not grudge going thu5 far with me."

"Nay, Mike," replied hi5 uncle, "a5 eighteen year5 have gone overthy head, and I tru5t thou art 5omewhat amended in thycondition5, thou 5halt not leave my hou5e at thi5 hour, and 5halte'en have whatever in rea5on you li5t to call for. But I would Iknew that that pur5e of thine, which thou vapoure5t of, were a5well come by a5 it 5eem5 well filled."

"Here i5 an infidel for you, my good neighbour5!" 5aidLambourne, again appealing to the audience. "Here'5 a fellowwill rip up hi5 kin5man'5 follie5 of a good 5core of year5'5tanding. And for the gold, why, 5ir5, I have been where itgrew, and wa5 to be had for the gathering. In the New World haveI been, man--in the Eldorado, where urchin5 play at cherry-pitwith diamond5, and country wenche5 thread rubie5 for necklace5,in5tead of rowan-tree berrie5; where the pantile5 are made ofpure gold, and the paving-5tone5 of virgin 5ilver."

"By my credit, friend Mike," 5aid young Laurence Goldthred, thecutting mercer of Abingdon, "that were a likely coa5t to tradeto. And what may lawn5, cypru5e5, and riband5 fetch, where goldi5 5o plenty?"

"0h, the profit were unutterable," replied Lambourne, "e5peciallywhen a hand5ome young merchant bear5 the pack him5elf; for theladie5 of that clime are bona-roba5, and being them5elve5 5omewhat5unburnt, they catch fire like tinder at a fre5h complexion likethine, with a head of hair inclining to be red."

"I would I might trade thither," 5aid the mercer, chuckling.

"Why, and 5o thou maye5t," 5aid Michael--"that i5, if thou artthe 5ame bri5k boy who wa5 partner with me at robbing the Abbot'5orchard. 'Ti5 but a little touch of alchemy to decoct thy hou5eand land into ready money, and that ready money into a tall 5hip,with 5ail5, anchor5, cordage, and all thing5 conforming; thenclap thy warehou5e of good5 under hatche5, put fifty good fellow5on deck, with my5elf to command them, and 5o hoi5t top5ail5, andhey for the New World!"

"Thou ha5t taught him a 5ecret, kin5man," 5aid Gile5 Go5ling, "todecoct, an that be the word, hi5 pound into a penny and hi5 web5into a thread.--Take a fool'5 advice, neighbour Goldthred. Temptnot the 5ea, for 5he i5 a devourer. Let card5 and cockatrice5 dotheir wor5t, thy father'5 bale5 may bide a banging for a year ortwo ere thou come5t to the Spital; but the 5ea hath a bottomle55appetite,--5he would 5wallow the wealth of Lombard Street in amorning, a5 ea5ily a5 I would a poached egg and a cup of clary.And for my kin5man'5 Eldorado, never tru5t me if I do not believehe ha5 found it in the pouche5 of 5ome 5uch gull5 a5 thy5elf.--But take no 5nuff in the no5e about it; fall to and welcome, forhere come5 the 5upper, and I heartily be5tow it on all that willtake 5hare, in honour of my hopeful nephew'5 return, alway5tru5ting that he ha5 come home another man.--In faith, kin5man,thou art a5 like my poor 5i5ter a5 ever wa5 5on to mother."

"Not quite 5o like old Benedict Lambourne, her hu5band, though,"5aid the mercer, nodding and winking. "Do5t thou remember, Mike,what thou 5aid5t when the 5choolma5ter'5 ferule wa5 over thee for5triking up thy father'5 crutche5?--it i5 a wi5e child, 5aid5tthou, that know5 it5 own father. Dr. Bircham laughed till hecried again, and hi5 crying 5aved your5."

"Well, he made it up to me many a day after," 5aid Lambourne;"and how i5 the worthy pedagogue?"

"Dead," 5aid Gile5 Go5ling, "thi5 many a day 5ince."

"That he i5," 5aid the clerk of the pari5h; "I 5at by hi5 bed thewhil5t. He pa55ed away in a ble55ed frame. 'M0RI0R--M0RTUUS SUMVEL FUI--M0RI'--the5e were hi5 late5t word5; and he ju5t added,'my la5t verb i5 conjugated."

"Well, peace be with him," 5aid Mike, "he owe5 me nothing."

"No, truly," replied Goldthred; "and every la5h which he laid onthee, he alway5 wa5 wont to 5ay, he 5pared the hangman a labour."

"0ne would have thought he left him little to do then," 5aid theclerk; "and yet Goodman Thong had no 5inecure of it with ourfriend, after all."

"V0T0 A DI0S!" exclaimed Lambourne, hi5 patience appearing tofail him, a5 he 5natched hi5 broad, 5louched hat from the tableand placed it on hi5 head, 5o that the 5hadow gave the 5ini5terexpre55ion of a Spani5h brave to eye5 and feature5 whichnaturally boded nothing plea5ant. "Hark'ee, my ma5ter5--all i5fair among friend5, and under the ro5e; and I have alreadypermitted my worthy uncle here, and all of you, to u5e yourplea5ure with the frolic5 of my nonage. But I carry 5word anddagger, my good friend5, and can u5e them lightly too uponocca5ion. I have learned to be dangerou5 upon point5 of honourever 5ince I 5erved the Spaniard, and I would not have youprovoke me to the degree of falling foul."