Edward as King

           MilesHendonwaspicturesqueenoughbeforehegotintotheriotonLondonBridge—hewasmoresowhenhegotoutofit.Hehadbutlittlemoneywhenhegotin,noneatallwhenhegotout.Thepickpocketshadstrippedhimofhislastfarthing.

           Butnomatter,sohefoundhisboy.Beingasoldier,hedidnotgoathistaskinarandomway,butsettowork,firstofall,toarrangehiscampaign.

           Whatwouldtheboynaturallydo?Wherewouldhenaturallygo?Well—arguedMiles—hewouldnaturallygotohisformerhaunts,forthatistheinstinctofunsoundminds,whenhomelessandforsaken,aswellasofsoundones.Whereaboutswerehisformerhaunts?Hisrags,takentogetherwiththelowvillainwhoseemedtoknowhimandwhoevenclaimedtobehisfather,indicatedthathishomewasinoneoranotherofthepoorestandmeanestdistrictsofLondon.Wouldthesearchforhimbedifficult,orlong?No,itwaslikelytobeeasyandbrief.Hewouldnothuntfortheboy,hewouldhuntforacrowd;inthecentreofabigcrowdoralittleone,soonerorlater,heshouldfindhispoorlittlefriend,sure;andthemangymobwouldbeentertainingitselfwithpesteringandaggravatingtheboy,whowouldbeproclaiminghimselfKing,asusual.ThenMilesHendonwouldcripplesomeofthosepeople,andcarryoffhislittleward,andcomfortandcheerhimwithlovingwords,andthetwowouldneverbeseparatedanymore.

           SoMilesstartedonhisquest.