Twain, Mark / 2008-05-16 00:00:00

Take me to the king my father, and he will make
thee rich beyond thy wildest dreams. Believe me, man, believe me! I
speak no lie, but only the truth!- put forth thy hand and save me! I
am indeed the Prince of Wales!'
The man stared down, stupefied, upon the lad, then shook his
head and muttered:
'Gone stark mad as any Tom o' Bedlam!'- then collared him once
more, and said with a coarse laugh and an oath, 'But mad or no mad,
I and thy Gammer Canty will soon find where the soft places in thy
bones lie, or I'm no true man!'
With this he dragged the frantic and struggling prince away, and
disappeared up a front court followed by a delighted and noisy swarm
of human vermin.
CHAPTER V
Tom as a Patrician
TOM CANTY, left alone in the prince's cabinet, made good use of
his opportunity. He turned himself this way and that before the
great mirror, admiring his finery; then walked away, imitating the
prince's high-bred carriage, and still observing results in the glass.
Next he drew the beautiful sword, and bowed, kissing the blade, and
laying it across his breast, as he had seen a noble knight do, by
way of salute to the lieutenant of the Tower, five or six weeks
before, when delivering the great lords of Norfolk and Surrey into his
hands for captivity. Tom played with the jeweled dagger that hung upon
his thigh; he examined the costly and exquisite ornaments of the room;
he tried each of the sumptuous chairs, and thought how proud he
would be if the Offal Court herd could only peep in and see him in his
grandeur.
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