Hal's thoughts were, however, at present too full of the uniform to allow his judgment to act with perfect impartiality. As soon as their visit was over, and all the time they walked down the hill from Prince's Buildings towards Bristol, he continued to repeat nearly the same arguments which he had formerly used respecting necessity, the uniform, and Lady Diana Sweepstakes. To all this Mr. Gresham made no reply, and longer had the young gentleman expatiated upon the subject, which had so strongly seized upon his imagination, had not his senses been forcibly assailed at this instant by the delicious odours and tempting sight of certain cakes and jellies in a pastrycook's shop.
'Oh, uncle,' said he, as his uncle was going to turn the corner to pursue the road to Bristol, 'look at those jellies!' pointing to a confectioner's shop. 'I must buy some of those good things, for I have got some halfpence in my pocket.'
'Your having halfpence in your pocket is an excellent reason for eating,' said Mr. Gresham, smiling.
'But I really am hungry,' said Hal. 'You know, uncle, it is a good while since breakfast.'
His uncle, who was desirous to see his nephews act without restraint, that he might judge their characters, bid them do as they pleased.
'Come, then, Ben, if you've any halfpence in your pocket.'
'I'm not hungry,' said Ben.
'I suppose that means that you've no halfpence,' said Hal, laughing, with the look of superiority which he had been taught to think the rich might assume towards those who were convicted either of poverty or economy.
'Waste not, want not,' said Ben to himself.
Contrary to his cousin's surmise, he happened to have two pennyworth of halfpence actually in his pocket.