v.J _ HARRY’S DREAM. 255

 

said she shouldn’t play any more, and the old gentleman
told Harry that he was evidently no judge of such
matters. At this Harry was rather nettled, not con-
sidering that the question was one sufficiently deep to
require age and experience in order to understand it
thoroughly. He ventured to hint as much to his brown
friend, upon which the latter looked up at him calmly
and asked the following startling question :-—

‘ How long have, you been at Eton?’

‘More than two years,’ replied Harry.

‘And how many times have you been flogged ?’
demanded the inquisitive old gentleman.

Harry coloured, for though he had, like other
boys, been in a few trifling scrapes which had terminated
in an acquaintance with the head master’s right arm,
and was not ashamed of the fact, yet he did not care
to be questioned about it by a comparative stranger,
and was at first doubtful how to answer. On the
whole, however, he thought that he might as well speak
out ; so he replied, with as careless an air as he could
assume at the moment, ‘Oh, two or three times, about
like other fellows, I suppose. I dare say you were
flogged in your time, too, sir?’

‘I flogged!’ cried the little brown gentleman, ‘I
should just think so! From the time I left my cradle
up to a moment too recent to be mentioned, I have
been continually becoming acquainted with personal
chastisement. I wrote a song about it once, which I
may as well sing to you at once, as I feel musically
inclined.’ So saying, he broke off into the following
lively ditty to the tune of that beautiful melody,
“Over the sea,’