"Yes," says Ned, "I have just been into Dame Birch's, the pie-woman, who said that you had then been to pay the money you owed her, and that she was very glad she had got clear of you."
He then related to Dr. Harris, the conversation he had had with the pie-woman about ten minutes before. "As I was walking to the shop, Sir," he said, "I saw Greene take his leave, when he was busily thrusting something into his pockets, I went into the shop, and Mrs. Birch told me that Greene had just paid her the remainder of his debt. I asked what debt it was; and she told me that it had been owing a long time: that, about a month ago, he went there and changed a sovereign, and paid her eight shillings out of fourteen he owed her; and that he wished the whole of the sovereign had belonged to himself, but it did not; for one of the other boys was to have half, as he had been with him when he had found it."
Greene, who had by this time in some measure recovered from his first shock, here interrupted Ned by saying, "I never told her so: I said my father gave it to me, which he did. He told me that my uncle from London had called and left it for me."
Ned declared he had told Dr. Harris the truth, and every word that Dame Birch had said, except that she added, "I believe I should never have got the money, if I had not threatened to go to his master."
Dame Birch was now sent for, and confirmed what little Ned had stated; and in answer to a question from Dr. Harris, why she allowed the boys to get so much in debt? said, that she could not help it with Greene, for he would have what he chose; but that it was not all for cakes: part of it was payment for two squares of glass, which he broke when fighting, one day, with another boy.
During the interview, Henry and George, and one or two of their school-fellows, hastened to Mr. Greene's house, (for he fortunately lived at a short distance from the village,) to have his son's account either confirmed or denied. On their reaching the door, they knocked with great authority; and upon the servant's opening it, they demanded to see his master immediately, as they had some very important business with him. The servant informed Mr. Greene of their visit, and he came out of the parlour and demanded what business they could have with him; when George said, "Sir, we have taken the liberty to call upon you, to know whether you gave your son Charles a sovereign about a month ago.
"Gave him what?" said the old gentleman: "gave him a sovereign! Not I, indeed: I hope I know better what to do with my money. His mother might have given him six-pence or so; but we should never think of giving him any thing like a sovereign."
He then returned into the parlour, and they heard him ask Mrs. Greene, if she knew of Charles's having a sovereign about a month ago, when she answered, "No, my dear."