Where had he been in his time? he repeated, when I asked him the question. Lord, he hadbeen everywhere! And what had he been? Bless you, he had been everything you couldmention a'most!Seen a good deal? Why, of course he had. I should say so, he could assure me, if I onlyknew about a twentieth part of what had come in his way. Why, it would be easier for him, he expected, to tell what he hadn't seen than what he had. Ah! A deal, it would.What was the curiousest thing he had seen? Well! He didn't know. He couldn't momentlyname what was the curiousest thing he had seen-unless it was a Unicorn, and he see himonce at a Fair. But supposing a young gentleman not eight year old was to run away with afine young woman of seven, might I think that a queer start? Certainly. Then that was astart as he himself had had his blessed eyes on, and he had cleaned the shoes they run awayin-and they was so little that he couldn't get his hand into 'em.Master Harry Walmers' father, you see, he lived at the Elmses, down away by Shooter's Hillthere, six or seven miles from Lunnon. He was a gentleman of spirit, and good-looking, andheld his head up when he walked, and had what you may call Fire about him. He wrotepoetry, and he rode, and he ran, and he cricketed, and he danced, and he acted, and he doneit all equally beautiful. He was uncommon proud of Master Harry as was his only child; buthe didn't spoil him neither. He was a gentleman that had a will of his own and a eye of hisown, and that would be minded. Consequently, though he made quite a companion of thefine bright boy, and was delighted to see him so fond of reading his fairy books, and wasnever tired of hearing him say my name is Norval, or hearing him sing his songs aboutYoung May Moons is beaming love, and When he as adores thee has left but the name, andthat; still he kept the command over the child, and the child was a child, and it's to bewished more of 'em was!How did Boots happen to know all this? Why, through being under-gardener. Of course hecouldn't be under-gardener, and be always about, in the summer-time, near the windowson the lawn, a mowing, and sweeping, and weeding, and pruning, and this and that, withoutgetting acquainted with the ways of the family. Even supposing Master Harry hadn't cometo him one morning early, and said, "Cobbs, how should you spell Norah, if you was asked?"and then began cutting it in print all over the fence.