If there had been, there would have been no further opportunity that night, for as I stood by, puzzling in my mind what to say to bring home to the graceless youth a sense of his iniquity, he began picking up his brushes and shouldering his box.
"Where are you going so early ?" I asked.
"Don't you like to know ?" retorted he.
"Yes, I would." "Well, if you must know, I'm a-going to the racket school!" "The what ?" I exclaimed.
"Racket school." "Oh! ragged school, you mean.

Where is it?
I didn't know you went.
They ought to teach you better there than to steal, Billy," I said.
"Oh!" replied the boy, with a touch of scorn in his voice, "that there bloke's a-going to learn me, not you!" "What! does Smith teach at the ragged school, then ?" "In course he do! Do you suppose I'd go else ?" And off he trotted, leaving me utterly bewildered.
Jack Smith teaching in a ragged school! Jack Smith wearing a pair of boots that he knew were stolen! What could I think?
At any rate, I was resolved to be no party to Billy's dishonesty.

At any cost, since I had not the heart to deliver up the culprit to justice, I must see that the victim was repaid.

He might never have noticed the theft; but whether or no, I should have no rest till his loss had been made good.
It was no time to mince matters.

My own funds, as the reader knows, were in a bad state.