“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.”

Yes, Tommy was intoxicated, but with a beverage not recognized by the faculty.  What happened was this:  Supper being finished, the time had come for what Shovel called the jawing, and the boys were now mustered in the body of the hall.  The limited audience had gone to the gallery, and unluckily all eyes except Shovel’s were turned to the platform.  Shovel was apprehensive about Tommy, who was not exactly sobbing now; but strange, uncontrollable sounds not unlike the winding up of a clock proceeded from his throat; his face had flushed; there was a purposeful look in his usually unreadable eye; his fingers were fidgeting on the board in front of him, and he seemed to keep his seat with difficulty.

The personage who was to address the boys sat on the platform with clergymen, members of committee, and some ladies, one of them Tommy’s patroness.  Her ladyship saw Tommy and smiled to him, but obtained no response.  She had taken a front seat, a choice that she must have regretted presently.

The chairman rose and announced that the.  Rev. Mr. ——­would open the proceedings with prayer.  The Rev. Mr. ——­ rose to pray in a loud voice for the waifs in the body of the hall.  At the same moment rose Tommy, and began to pray in a squeaky voice for the people on the platform.

He had many Biblical phrases, mostly picked up in Thrums Street, and what he said was distinctly heard in the stillness, the clergyman being suddenly bereft of speech.  “Oh,” he cried, “look down on them ones there, for, oh, they are unworthy of Thy mercy, and, oh, the worst sinner is her ladyship, her sitting there so brazen in the black frock with yellow stripes, and the worse I said I were the better pleased were she.  Oh, make her think shame for tempting of a poor boy, for getting suffer little children, oh, why cumbereth she the ground, oh—­”