Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Thackerayo’clock in the morning, was the word. My Tutor, the Rev.Edward P——, to whom I hereby present my best compliments,had a parting interview with me: gave me mylittle account for my governor: the remaining part of thecoach-hire; five shillings for my own expenses; and somefive-and-twenty shillings on an old account which hadbeen overpaid, and was to be restored to my family.Away I ran and paid Hawker his three-and-six. Ouf!what a weight it was off my mind! (He was a Norfolkboy, and used to go home from Mrs. Nelson’s “Bell Inn,”Aldgate—but that is not to the point.) The next morning,of course, we were an hour before the time. I andanother boy shared a hackney-coach; two-and-six: porterfor putting luggage on coach, threepence. I had nomore money of my own left. Rasherwell, my companion,went into the “Bolt-in-Tun” coffee-room, and hada good breakfast. I couldn’t; because, though I had fiveand-twentyshillings of my parents’ money, I had noneof my own, you see.I certainly intended to go without breakfast, and stillremember how strongly I had that resolution in my mind.But there was that hour to wait. A beautiful Augustmorning—I am very hungry. There is Rasherwell “tucking”away in the coffee-room. I pace the street, as sadlyalmost as if I had been coming to school, not goingthence. I turn into a court by mere chance—I vow itwas by mere chance—and there I see a coffee-shop witha placard in the window, Coffee, Twopence. Round ofbuttered toast, Twopence. And here am I, hungry, penniless,with five-and-twenty shillings of my parents’money in my pocket.What would you have done? You see I had had my money,and spent it in that pencil-case affair. The five-and-twentyshillings were a trust—by me to be handed over.But then would my parents wish their only child to beactually without breakfast? Having this money, andbeing so hungry, so very hungry, mightn’t I take ever solittle? Mightn’t I at home eat as much as I chose?Well, I went into the coffee-shop, and spent fourpence.I remember the taste of the coffee and toast to this day—a peculiar, muddy, not-sweet-enough, most fragrant coffee—arich, rancid, yet not-buttered-enough delicious59