Tom Brownings Schooldays

Tom Browning's Schooldays

By

Joel

Chapter Fourteen

I went to see this family with Lancelot. Two boys, two small girls and a baby still at the mother's breast. The father was lying, drunk, in a corner and the four children were thin. All had scabs and sores on their faces and round their mouths. The two girls started to cry as Lancelot put cotton gloves on and looked at their faces. The boys, I think they were about twelve and ten, looked on sullenly and cowered when their father roused himself and started to swear. Lancelot told him sharply to shut his mouth and he cowered, too.

Lancelot explained to me that only good food would help any cure but he could give them an ointment to rub over the sores. The younger boy did seem more unwell than the others. He felt round his throat. "I fear those lumps I can feel are not good. I won't ask you to feel them as I do not want your hands dirtied."

The father roused himself again as Lancelot took a pot from his bag and showed the silent mother what to do. "That fucking woman cannot hear," the man shouted, "How much is that fucking pot worth? I can get a bloody good drink with the money."

Lancelot was tall and stood over the man as he lay back again and put his hands protectively over his head. "If I find you've stolen your children's medicine you'll be in the lockup on bread and water!"

The man mumbled "Fucking bread and water's better than owt!"

Lancelot turned to the elder boy. "Have you eaten this morning?"

The boy shook his head and both boys began to cry and the elder one pointed at the baby held at the mother's breast.

Lancelot swore then. "Christ Almighty, I should have known!" He bent down and took the baby away from the mother. "Tom, go and get my mother and at least two other women. The baby's dead and if we don't get some food into the mother she'll be dead, too, before the day is out!"

I ran all the way to the Rectory. Aunt Matty was aghast at my story but she was used to emergencies. She sent Liam to the stable to tell the coachman to get her chaise ready and then packed food and bottles of water in baskets. I said there was no fire in the hearth so Niall and I gathered some logs from the stack in the outhouse. Mrs Reynolds sent one of her daughters to tell Goodwife Benbow, the midwife, to go with her daughter to the hovel. Aunt Matty said Liam should come with us and I could see Niall wanted to as well but she said his job was to find Uncle Dodd as he would have to arrange to bury the baby.

I joined Aunt Matty and Liam in the chaise and found Lancelot standing at the door of the hovel. "Mother," he said as Aunt Matty got down and was ready to go in, "The place is jumping in fleas. Take care and put this on your hands and face. You, too, boys." He handed his mother a small phial of slightly coloured liquid. "It's alright," he said as she grimaced as she poured a little onto her palm and sniffed it, "It's tincture of pennyroyal and fleas do not like it." I looked at Liam and grinned as I rubbed some on my face and handed him the bottle.

"You mustn't put any on for the Village Feast," I said, "It'll keep all the young ladies away."

"Why? Are they fleas?" he said, grinning back, "They might bite me, you think?"

Aunt Matty went in and we followed. She went over to the woman who was rocking back and forth. The drunk man tried to sit up. "Who's that fucking old witch?" he shouted out, "Bugger off!"

Liam went straight to him and I was reminded of Jack the farrier's lad. A fist connected with the fellow's chin and he crumpled. "Don't ever swear at a lady," said Liam. He turned to Aunt Matty. "I am ashamed for you to hear such rough language. He won't be saying anything else."

Aunt Matty smiled at him. "Liam, you are my protecting knight. I have been sworn at before but you have dealt with him admirably. You and Tom go to Constable Rogers and tell him to bring two men. I think that man would be safer in the lockup."

I was glad to get out of the confines of that room. The two boys and their smaller sisters were huddled with their arms round each other and their poor mother was beginning to moan. I took Liam's arm as he was looking at the prostrate figure of the father.

"Come on, Liam, he won't stir for ages. You should be a prizefighter."

"That is one thing I would not be. I have seen too many fights on my travels. But where does this Constable Rogers live?"

I said it wasn't far, just along the High Street, but the constable was another drunk and Liam shook his head sadly.

"I have seen much drunkenness too, and that is a condition I do not wish to be in either."

For once, Rogers wasn't too befuddled, although there was a pint pot on the table. I told him about the man, the dead baby and the woman with the four other children. At least Mrs Rogers was sensible even though she was suckling her baby - complete with bonnet I noticed.

"Take that pitcher of milk and two of those cups," she said pointing to a row of earthenware beakers, "Those poor children will need careful nourishing. I wish I could help but you say Goodwife Benbow has been sent for?"

We took the milk and two of the beakers and hurried off as Rogers had to get two other men to help him. There was much activity at the hovel when we returned. Lancelot was fanning a beginning-to-burn log in the hearth. Mrs Benbow was there and was trying to get the woman to say something. I whispered that I thought she might be deaf as that was what the man had said. Liam poured some of the milk into the two cups and the elder boy pointed to his two young sisters and they drank the liquid greedily. Aunt Matty called out not to give them too much or they would be sick. The boys drank theirs more slowly and the elder one said that his mother was deaf but understood signs but all she did was to shake her head when he held up a hand and pointed to his mouth then at her.

"That means we should get food first," he said, "But she hasn't eaten for four days. May I give her some milk?"

Liam poured some into the beaker the boy was holding. Aunt Matty held the woman's head as the boy put the beaker to her lips and she drank some. "Liam," she said, "Dip a little bread in the milk and see if she will take that." Between them they managed to get the woman to take a little food. I found more bread in the basket and made the boys feed their sisters; they also had some when they finished.

It was then that the drunk father began to stir. "Where the fuck am I," he started, "Fucking Hell! Who are all these old crones. Piss off the lot of you!" Liam was just about to apply some more summary justice but Aunt Matty held up a finger.

"Let Rogers hear him," she said and at that moment Constable Rogers and two henchman also tried to come in. The room was getting crowded and the two men stood just outside the door. The man began to swear even more but Rogers just went over to him and lifted him bodily and carried him like a sack of potatoes outside. All we heard then was the man's shouts then a screech as no doubt either Rogers or one of his assistants had silenced him in a similar way to the cudgelling of that other fellow's ballocks.

There was more interruption as Uncle Dodd came striding up with Niall beside him. I went outside with Liam following me and told him what had happened. He went over to the drunk who was sitting in the snow with Rogers behind him and the two assistants either side. "If what my nephew says is true then I must deal with this as Justice of the Peace." He addressed the man. "Do you understand what I have just said?"

"Who the fuck are you?" the man said, obviously not having heard. He looked up at Uncle Dodd who had his big black cape on but had his stock and bands on show at his neck. "Some fucking canting old hypocrite are you?" Rogers's knee came up and hit him in the back of the neck.

"Don't talk to the Rector like that!"

The man did shut up as Uncle Dodd told Constable Rogers to escort the man to the lockup where he would be dealt with for drunk and disorderly behaviour and for not reporting the death of an infant. He was roughly dragged to his feet and almost carried off along the drift towards the High Street. He started swearing again then fell silent as, no doubt, he had received another blow to somewhere soft and sensitive.

The logs were beginning to blaze as we went back in and Uncle Dodd went up to Lancelot who was undoing the cloth wrapped round the tiny baby. "I shall need a death certificate and I will have the child buried this afternoon. I don't suppose it has been baptised?"

"I wouldn't think so," his son replied. "It's a girl and no more than a week or so old. I would say it has been dead two or three days. I will ask the boy."

Uncle Dodd beckoned Niall and the pair went out and I heard him instructing him to bring the paper Lancelot would give him back to the Rectory as he had to go and inform the gravedigger. I and Liam followed Lancelot to the corner of the room where the four children were now huddled. He knelt on the earthen floor next to the elder boy.

"When was the baby born?" he asked.

"I think about fourteen days ago but I'm not sure. A woman came when my mother screamed then brought that cloth to wrap the baby. She gave us some bread but went away. My father was drunk and went off and didn't come back until last night."

"Where are you from?" Lancelot asked gently.

"From Boston, but father was labouring in Cambridge and when my mother was near her time we started to walk back but we got lost and reached here and found this place was empty."

"You have been truly lost, Boston is quite the other way. Can your mother speak?"

The boy shook his head. "She tries, but my grandmother says she has been deaf since birth."

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen, Sir."

Aunt Matty came over. "The woman is too weak and ill and needs tending. She needs to be cleaned as well and we must do something for those children. I will ask Mistress Godber to nurse her and her daughter will care for the children. Tom and Liam can warn her.

They will need better clothes as what they are wearing is only fit for burning. I will send things from my store."

Lancelot nodded. "I must write the certificate now but I need to know a name."

The boy said the baby didn't have a name and their surname was Middleton.

Liam and I were sent to warn Mistress Godber and she said she would get a bed ready. She was a kindly lady who had been nursemaid and then nurse to a family in another village but they had gone abroad and she made her money caring for those in the village who needed nursing. I asked if she knew who had been with the mother when the baby was born. She didn't know but thought it might have been old lady Crick who she knew was in bed now with a bad cough.

As we were in the High Street I took Liam with me to buy the sweets for the boys at the Hall. I got plenty of bullseyes and Pontefract cakes and a bag full of all colours of boiled sweets. I said he and Niall had to have a share and he chose a bullseye each and six Pontefract cakes. I said that liquorice was good for the bowels and he laughed and said his bowels worked well without help.

Back at the hovel Aunt Matty said she had got the woman to understand the baby was dead and I gave each of the children a boiled sweet and got four smiles for the first time that morning. Mistress Godber had sent two men with a litter and the woman was carried off with the four children trailing behind.

Aunt Matty shook her head as she saw them go. "The parish will have the expense of nursing that poor woman and keeping those children until we can get them to her mother in Boston. Your job, Tom, on Monday is to try and find out from the boy where his grandmother lives. Rogers can have the pleasure of that oaf's company until he is sober and contrite enough to be sent on, too. That doesn't mean a happy Christmas for any of them."

"Would you like a sweet, Aunt," I said holding up the packets, "You need sustenance after all that."

"Tom, you are worse than your brothers. I suppose these are for the kitchen boys." She felt in the bag hanging from the belt round her waist. "Here's a shilling. See what you can add and make sure Liam and Niall have a share." Saying that she took a bright orange boiled sweet and popped it in her mouth.

We had just finished our purchases, with Liam bearing a bag of boiled sweets, when Aunt Matty's chaise drew up. I said I would walk back to the Hall and would see her tonight at the dinner. She laughed and said anything would be better than the previous night.

The scullery boys and Benjy fell on the packets with great glee but I made them take them round the kitchen maids as well who screwed their noses up at the brightly coloured sweets. They chose to have a couple of Pontefract cakes each and Benjy got quite a clout from one big girl as she heard him say they would be entertained to plenty of farts that afternoon. Mrs Gray said that lunch would have to be simple as they were all very busy. Still, there was good soup and slices of some roasted bird and a quartered pork pie. I ate in solitary state then went up to my room to rest and read.

I had hoped my new clothes would have been ready but they were promised for Tuesday afternoon so I would have to squeeze into my very tight jacket and trousers for this evening. At least, Benjy had laid my things ready.

The guests were expected for six o'clock and Benjy had been sent up to see I was ready in good time. He said Mr Clements had also clouted him for saying that Mary Ann was getting fat and she shouldn't eat so much. I just wondered if someone had tried the magic pitchfork on her!

Anyway, the evening was a jolly affair. There were drinks handed round as people arrived with trays of small savoury tarts and biscuits ready to pick from on side tables. We all sat at seven and the dinner lasted until past nine o'clock. I had two helpings of roast sucking pig and it was heavenly with whatever had been stuffed into it. I nudged Timmy, resplendent in his livery, and asked if he had more ideas and was he opening a cookshop? I got a reproving look from Mr Clements who was directing him and Benjy to hand out the boiled vegetables.

I was too fat and full to join in the dancing and didn't want to be grabbed by Miss Barnes or the Squire's wife as a partner so fetched my flute and joined the little band as I knew all the tunes we would play. I whispered to Mr Venables when we had a break that Timmy had been given a flute and wanted to be taught. "My pleasure," he said.

In another interval I sat and chatted to John Mitchell whose sisters I'd sat between at the table. He wasn't able to dance as he had a twisted foot. He had bravely saved the life of one of his father's hands at the age of twelve when the bull the man was leading charged him and was about to trample him when John pulled the rope and distracted it. Unfortunately he almost got tossed and the bull broke his ankle and stood for a moment on his foot. He was a cheerful young man, though, and worked for Mr Grindcobbe as a scrivener. He said he was very busy at work and they could do with at least one more copier but few lads could write clearly and well enough, or wanted to train. I thought of Niall who wrote a very fair hand and wondered if I should ask Uncle Dodd about recommending him. He would have to live in Stamford and whether he would want to be separated from his brother was something to consider.

The evening went quickly and there was much merriment as Christmas favours were handed round at the end each wrapped in bright paper. All the lads, including me, had a bright neckerchief while the girls had packets of pins and ribbons and the older folk either had handkerchiefs or brooches. Coaches and horses were at the door and we waved and shouted goodbyes to each other. Father was very pleased how the evening had gone and I saw him slip a coin into the hands of each liveried footman. My mother went to the kitchen and I heard much laughter coming up from there. I had two companions that night to undress me and keep me company. Both Benjy and Timmy said how much they had enjoyed everything even though they were kept busy and Benjy did say he was glad that young Jefferson wasn't present. We were not too tired to lie side by side in my big bed and shed our boyish seed once more. After I had ceremoniously wiped each belly with my rag to giggled thanks we huddled up together and snored the night away.

Benjy was awake first and was soon back with two pitchers of hot water. He and Timmy had to be up as there was a lot of clearing-up still to be done and we all had to be ready for church and the baptism of young Rogers!

They washed and dressed in day clothes saying they would change to Sunday best later. I was too aroused seeing them naked to get out of bed so I waited until they had gone before shedding a good amount of morning seed and lying there idly smearing it over my stomach and chest before deciding I had better rise and wash my spattered body..

There was much clattering of pans and dishes from the kitchen and scullery while I was eating breakfast. Marie came in and curtsied and said in French that Madam would take breakfast in her room and she would join her. Mother and she must have been hungry as Marie heaped two plates with scrambled egg, bacon and fried bread slices. She said that when she passed my father's room he was 'ronflement et ebrouement comme un etalon!' She laughed as she said that and having heard my father snoring and snorting like a stallion when asleep many times I knew what she meant.

All were ready for church on time and my mother and father led the procession along the drive. There was quite a hubbub before the service started but even Squire Matthews was on time. Uncle Dodd's sermon was short and to the point. He said that Christmastide was almost upon us and while we would be celebrating with good food and drink we had to remember the child born in a manger and that only yesterday he had buried a poor child whose family had nothing. We should give thanks for our families and employment even though we might be in a menial position and remember those whose lives were far worse than ours and we would be celebrating the entry of yet another soul into the church during the baptism ceremony. There was quite a whisper at this and peering down from my perch up in the gallery I saw the churchwardens stand and hold up their white wands to quieten the noise.

All the band were amused as Kate Benbow pulled up her mobcap and let out a couple of strands of her red hair. Oh yes! Her mother and a certain person's father were brother and sister!

Uncle Dodd then went to the font and beckoned Mr and Mrs Rogers and the godparents. Two were his sister who lived in the next village and a man I didn't really know but was probably a drinking companion of his. The third was Mrs Benbow who had been holding the baby. At the appropriate moment she handed the child to Uncle Dodd who started the process of getting the cup of water from the font to pour on the baby's head and then asked "What name do you give this child?..." and waited. Mrs Rogers whispered something and he said "Luke..." and Mrs Benbow in a loud voice said "Emmanuel" which Uncle repeated and that was that. Except two things happened. As he bent the child back over the font it's hat fell off and the whole congregation who were standing looking on giggled. True. Not a great deal of hair but it was certainly not black like Rogers' or his sister's. The hat was rescued from the font and hurriedly put back on though dripping wet as Uncle Dodd completed the baptism. As he handed the child to Mrs Rogers I heard him say, "He's truly baptised!"

We in the band were almost falling off our chairs, not just because Kate pulled her hat off completely and her mass of red hair cascaded down to her shoulders, but because who could doubt 'Luke Emmanuel' was near enough 'Lemuel'! It was something which would go down in village history!

As Rogers was surrounded by all his male friends I saw Mrs Rogers being beckoned to the Squire's pew. She curtsied and Mrs Matthews gave her a christening mug. As she walked back so people dropped coins into it for the baby. All I hoped was that Rogers didn't get his hands on it and drink it all.

I led the band down again and we were a happy lot as coats and hats were collected from the choir vestry. There were many repeats of 'Lem, Lem' and I was sorry that Robin wasn't present but it was something to tell him when he returned.

Uncle and Aunt were joining us for Sunday lunch and poor Uncle was hard-pressed not to say something about that naming as he was so clearly amused. Aunt Matty wasn't so reticent and I heard her say it was the best service she'd been to for a long time and she could think up a few other names like 'Pipkin'. I knew that referred to another child whose father was reputed to be Philip Wilner who had lodged with a couple named Tomkins who were always shouting at each other and the wife had locked the husband out when his temper got too bad. I didn't say that Robin should have been 'Torqu-all" as his mother had been Jenny Hall and Robin did 'Talk all' the time. Weak, but enough to tease him with and get a wrestle.

Lancelot hadn't been at the service but came in late for lunch. He said he had been with the poor woman and the children all morning as she was very weak and he thought the younger boy might have what used to be known as King's Evil but it's name now was scrofula. My mother said she'd been told that you could be cured if you were touched by royalty, as indeed the late Dr Johnson had been by Good Queen Anne.

"Unfortunately, Aunt, that's just superstitious nonsense," Lancelot said, "We don't know what causes it and we have a few remedies and I'm not sure they work. I might give him a weak dose of digitalis but I think its another case of good food and fresh air needed. I have read that some German doctors think a stay in the high mountains helps but we haven't got anything like that round here, just the wind off the German sea!"

The conversation turned to happier things and my mother and Aunt Matty were soon busy checking that all the people who were helping with the Village Feast had been told what they had to do. My father rolled his eyes when they started and he, Uncle Dodd and Lancelot went to his study to smoke a pipe or two and discuss more masculine things. I went up to my room and dealt with my own pipe. It was getting harder to control and only seemed to lie down quietly for an hour or two after I had huffed and puffed and it blew it's own rather thicker smoke than father's favourite churchwarden. I just wondered if my pipe would grow more as it wasn't yet as long as the six inch clays favoured by Uncle Dodd and Lancelot. Still, I had great pleasure and sat and fondled it idly while I read more of Oliver Twist. I was almost caught with my trousers undone as Benjy brought me a pot of tea and some small cakes. We shared the cakes and a good laugh about young Lem!

Monday morning my task was to try and find where the pauper children's grandmother lived. The elder boy now looked much better. His face had been washed and Lancelot's salve had been spread over the sores on his cheeks and chin. I found out his grandmother was named Mrs Clayton and she had a house near the big church in Boston and was a dressmaker but also took in lodgers who he said were traders buying and selling things from the boats.

I rode Blaze to the Rectory as I knew Uncle Dodd had a directory of Lincolnshire in his study. I found Mrs Clayton easily in the list of Boston tradespeople and she did live in Church Street. I left a note for Uncle Dodd and decided just to take Blaze out along the country lanes. There was much trampled snow and it was very cloudy so I didn't go far and the riding made me erect again although I'd spurted mightily already that morning. Nothing for it but to ride home and before the lunch gong sounded I had pleasured myself a second time that morning.

After another lunch of leftover pieces from Saturday I went back to my room as the snow began to fall again. Still I had Oliver Twist to keep me company. I hadn't been settled to reading long when one of the twins rapped on my door and brought in a parcel addressed to me from the mail which had just been delivered. The parcel was very interesting. It was from George Lascelles and contained a book, two letters and a legal-looking document.

The longest letter was from George. Our letters must have crossed in the mail but he had been to see the old woman who had taken Timmy in when his mother had died. He said Mother Campion was well and missed him greatly. She had two books, both old herbals, and this book was one of them and she wanted Timmy to have it with her love and best wishes for the future and she had instructed her daughters that when she passed on the other book should be sent to him as well.

The book was well-used and the leather binding worn. I would read it carefully later but noted a great number of neat pencil and ink notes in the margins. I turned to George's letter again. He said his brother Augustus had noted his poor humour and he had confessed all about Black Jack and what had happened. Augustus then said he had never trusted Jack and George should tell his father the whole story as well as their father had not trusted Jack's father either. After George had done this Lord Harford was in tears as was George and Augustus with the ignominy and baseness of one of their kin.

The second letter was to me from his Lordship. He said he was incensed with his nephew's behaviour and could only offer his apologies and hoped I and Robin would visit Garthorpe Hall where we would be most welcome. He said that the horse, Tarquin, was really his. He had lent it to his brother, and also let him take Timmy, as he wanted to be rid of his brother at the time. I was to tell Timmy he was as free as anyone else and if he wished to stay in Lincolnshire it was his decision though there would always be a place for him at Garthorpe. The horse was his now and the legal document transferred the ownership to him as recompense for all the hardships he had endured. There was a postscript to the letter asking my father for his advice on both suitable hunters and ponies and what would be his prices!

I took the book and the letters down to my mother. She said Timmy would be well- settled here and the book was such a kind gift. She had seen a copy somewhere and knew it was consulted by many herbalists as well as physicians and I'd better keep Lancelot's hands off it until Timmy had been given it. She laughed at the postscript to His Lordship's letter as a recommendation from such an eminent man as Lord Harford would be joy to my father's ears. "And money in his pocket," I added. We both laughed.

Timmy wasn't around as he was helping Mrs Bottom in her kitchen so I took the book back to my room. It was odd. There was no title page so I couldn't see who had written it and there was no date when it had been printed. The print looked old. I noted there were long 'esses' that I'd seen in other old books. There were very carefully drawn pictures of plants with descriptions, some of them in Latin but it was easy to translate. I looked at a drawing of a plant I thought I'd seen. It said it was mullein and a preparation could be used for sore throats. I found a carefully written note against the entry for some plant called skullcap which I'd never heard of. 'This as a tincture is good for women after childbirth'. There must have been drawings of over fifty herbs and plants with their uses and then there were several pages of how to prepare them. If Timmy knew all this he could be an apothecary.

Father was very interested as I took the book and letters down when the dinner gong sounded. He said he would get Mr Grindcobbe to copy the document about the horse when he returned from London on Tuesday and then would call Timmy to see him on Thursday morning after the Village Feast was over and done. He said he would have to make a good list of his best horses to send to Milord. I hadn't realised but the first half a dozen of the brood mares had arrived that afternoon and another ten were expected in the morning

I was alone that night as Benjy said he had to be up very early next day as there was a mountain of work to be done for the Wednesday Village Feast. Nothing for it. I shed my nightshirt as I was warm from the fire just lying on my bed with no coverlet on. I caressed my hardness slowly but I had to hasten my strokes as the wretched thing would not allow me to delay my release. I am certain my pizzle has a life of it's own! I must ask Robin if he agrees. I mean about his as well.

The church clock and the crowing cock woke me. I vowed not to let my growing cock be my master. I hopped out of bed and revived the smouldering fire with two more logs and slept again until Benjy woke me by drawing his finger up and down my nose.

"That snout of yours is the same length as something else you possess," he said and heaved the coverlet off me. He laughed. "I am mistaken. That thing needs at least two more inches and I wager it'll taken another four years before it's grown that long."

Benjy might be older but I was a strong young lad and was able to grapple him over the bed. He was giggling too much to resist and his britches were to his knees in a trice. Unfortunately for me his stiff prong was a good inch or so longer than mine so I couldn't make any tart comments. Still we did both produce a good outcome so we were quits. He then had to complain that I had made him late and he would get another clout from Mrs Gray. As he slithered off the bed I smacked his bare arse and said she should give him the same especially with Mary Ann and the other wenches looking on and laughing at his little dangle.

"At least I have more to show than that young Jefferson," he said and I had to agree.

I thought it best to keep out of the way as there was too much bustle and shouts with all the preparation for the morrow's Feast with Mrs Clements, the housekeeper, getting the maids to fold great tablecloths and get spare cutlery packed into boxes and Mrs Gray giving orders for the pies and puddings to be counted once more. Uncle Dodd did come in for lunch as he said he had been told there was little food for lunch at the Rectory as Mrs Reynolds was trying to rescue a great pie she was baking and had let the gravy inside overflow. He said the boys were talking to Lancelot who was showing them chemical things. I told him what John Mitchell had said about Mr Grindcobbe who could do with another scribe. He said it would be perfect for Niall as he seemed a very patient boy. He smiled.

"I was not going to tell you this until things were arranged but I took the boys to see Steven Goodhew on Monday as I said I wanted to talk to him about repairs to Rass's church. I saw Liam was looking carefully at the stone that Abel Munnings was dressing as I spoke with Steven. I know he would like another apprentice and I think Liam would be interested as he said he was impressed with Abel's skill. If Jenny is losing Robin to school and here that rambling house could take in two more boys. I think they are two boys who lost their way but have underlying good natures. I will talk to Grindcobbe this afternoon about Niall. Your father is sending a chaise to meet the coach at the Stretton inn at three o'clock. But do not say anything to Robin and Philip as Steven said he won't say anything to his own boys until after the Village Feast."

I said my lips were sealed and, anyway, we would be busy as Mr Corsham the tailor was bringing our new clothes to see if they fitted.

"I must see him, too, it is too far to go to Cambridge every time I need a new preaching gown and Rass has taken two of my old ones as he says he never has any money to buy new but he always seems to have a supply of new books."

Well, all was even more chaos later. Rowley was dispatched to the inn at Stretton after luncheon to meet the stage coach; there were a couple of bangs and crashes from the direction of the kitchen; Mr Corsham arrived at three in his own coach with an assistant and a wicker trunk full of clothes; Uncle Dodd rode up on a borrowed horse and said he had been sworn at roundly when he had sentenced the rough fellow to a month in the lockup which he had then extended to six weeks before calculating how much that would cost the parish; my father had to deal with two of the grooms who had been fighting and young James Goodhew was squirming because he said he had finished off all the Pontefract cakes and needed the privy urgently!

Mr Corsham was a good tailor. All my new clothes fitted well and he showed how he had allowed extra hems so as I grew they could be undone and restitched. James looked a real young gentleman in his two new suits but did a quick change back to his old clothes as he didn't want any accidents to happen! There were new things for the kitchen-boys, too, as they needed to look smart when carrying dishes to the serving tables.

At long last we heard the coach arrive with the two lawyers and the two boys. Father took Mr Grindcobbe and Mr Lewsey to the breakfast room first as they needed food and drink before dealing with any legal matters. Robin and Philip, looking slightly tired, were dealt with by Mr Corsham immediately as he wanted to get back to Stamford as he had a meeting of the Town Council to attend that evening. I took them then to the breakfast room which was empty as the legal things were now being discussed in my father's study. Both said they had much to tell me and show me as they had had a wonderful time.

"Smelly place, London is," said Philip, "I don't know how people can live there all the time. It's all smoky and there's horseshit everywhere!"

"Philip," said Robin, "You are not to say that when you tell Mum."

"No, but it's true and you said something worse when you got a lump on your shoe on Sunday!"

"It's marvellous, though," Robin said, "That gas lighting. It's quite magical when the men go up and the down the streets with their tapers on poles. Mrs Harrison said we had to be very careful and only let the servants light the lamps in the room 'cause it's dangerous to breathe it."

"And what were Mr Grindcobbe's nephews like?" I asked.

Philip sniggered and Robin gave him a punch to the arm. "You keep quiet youngster! He's laughing because the eldest one has done the same as your brother Torquil..."

Philip had danced out of the way of his brother. "...His result was a little girl. But she's not Robina, she's Rosina!"

"Quiet, you little hound or I'll tell what you and young John were doing when we came back to the bedroom."

"Don't care, we were just seeing who was bigger 'cause he's the same age as me and we match. I could tell on you though..."

Robin grabbed him. "...I don't care either, but we said you shouldn't tell Jamie anything yet."

"He's inquisitive, though, and I think you ought to talk to him before you go back to school."

A sensible lad I thought. I also wondered if one reason for Robin and Philip's visit was for them to hear that other families also had lads who helped to increase the population without being married! The important thing though was whether the buying of Cobblers Farm had been accomplished.

"Mr Grindcobbe is talking to my father," I said, "Did the bank accept the money?"

Both boys laughed. "We went straight there Saturday morning and the boys came with us as they were going to show us around afterwards," Robin said, grinning his head off, "You've never seen so much fawning and bowing and scraping. Yes sir, no sir, three bags full! We all had a glass of wine, even young Philip!" His brother screwed his face up and aimed a punch, but missed as he was still laughing and miming drinking. "Of course, we had to wait outside while Mr Grindcobbe and Mr Lewsey went into the boardroom. They weren't in for more than ten minutes and they said the whole thing was signed, sealed and delivered and, not only that, the deeds show almost double part of the pasture land. Your father will be pleased. Mr Grindcobbe took us and his nephews for a real slap-up meal for lunch and even Mr Lewsey was smiling. We had another glass with that!"

Philip was nodding then looked serious. "We did note something, though. On the board in the entrance hall was a list of directors and several had been painted out and when one of the clerks saw us looking at it said it was no good us thinking there might a position as he was certain the bank was going to close. We didn't say anything but I showed Robin later that one name still there was the Honourable Philip Lascelles M.P."

"I told Mr Grindcobbe I recognised the name and he grimaced and said the sooner he got the deeds into safe-keeping the better," said Robin, "That's Black Jack's father, isn't it?"

To be continued: