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For I knew there was nothing for it but brazening it out. "Upon the honor of a gentleman!" said I, turning round to the boys. They hesitated; and if the trick had turned in my favor, fifty of them would have seized hold of Stiffelkind and drubbed him soundly. If they fit him, why then the cobbler's right."
My mamma laughed, and said, "I did not know it, but I am sure, sir, he has as pretty a leg for a boot as any in the whole county." Old Stiffelkind roared louder. "A very nice leg, ma'am, and a very SHEAP BOOT TOO. Vat! did you not know I make his boots? He bot a pair of boots from me and never paid for dem.
A sudden trembling seized me I knew it was Stiffelkind. What had brought him here? He talked loud, and seemed angry. So I rushed into the school-room, and burying my head between my hands, began reading for dear life. "I vant Lort Cornvallis," said the horrid bootmaker. "His lortship belongs, I know, to dis honorable school, for I saw him vid de boys at chorch yesterday." "Lord who?"
"Oh, sir," said I, "it was only in fun that I called myself Lord Cornwallis." "In fun! Where are the boots? And you, sir, give me your bill." My beautiful boots were brought; and Stiffelkind produced his bill. "Lord Cornwallis to Samuel Stiffelkind, for a pair of boots four guineas."
They seized me and carried me to the playground pump: they pumped upon me until I was half dead; and the monster, Stiffelkind, stood looking on for the half-hour the operation lasted. I suppose the Doctor, at last, thought I had had pumping enough, for he rang the school-bell, and the boys were obliged to leave me. As I got out of the trough, Stiffelkind was alone with me.
I didn't say a word, but cried on; till everybody in the street turned round and stared. "Come, come," said Stiffelkind, "do not gry, Gaptain Stobbs it is not goot for a Gaptain to gry ha! ha! Dere come vid me, and you shall have a dinner, and a bregfast too, vich shall gost you nothing, until you can bay vid your earnings."
The men and boys used to laugh, and call me General, and Lord Cornwallis, and all sorts of nicknames; and old Stiffelkind made a thousand new ones for me. One day I can recollect one miserable day, as I was polishing on the trees a pair of boots of Mr. Stiffelkind's manufacture the old gentleman came into the shop, with a lady on his arm. "Vere is Gaptain Stobbs?" said he.
But fancy the malice of that wicked Stiffelkind: he appeared in court as my creditor for 3L., with sixteen years' interest at five per cent, for a PAIR OF TOP-BOOTS. The old thief produced them in court, and told the whole story Lord Cornwallis, the detection, the pumping and all. Commissioner Dubobwig was very funny about it. "So Doctor Swishtail would not pay you for the boots, eh, Mr.
"No, I know you will never you are too great a goward ha! ha! though dis is a red goat, and a place where you must give some HARD KNOCKS too ha! ha! do you gomprehend? and you shall be a general instead of a gaptain ha! ha!" "A general in a red coat, Mr. Stiffelkind?" "Yes, a GENERAL BOSTMAN! ha! ha!
They did fit me; and not only that, but the name of STUBBS was written in them at full length. "Vat!" said Stiffelkind. "Is he not a lort? So help me Himmel, I never did vonce tink of looking at de shoes, which have been lying ever since in dis piece of brown paper."
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