"Bring the boot jack, Molly!"--he exclaimed, in a paroxysm of perspiration. Molly brought it in a moment, and, with eager anticipation of ease, he stuck his heel into it; but, alas! he no sooner began to pull than his agonies were increased tenfold! and the boot-jack was kicked away in despair. In two minutes he tried it again--and again he suffered the most excruciating torment. Oh! miserable state!--Hercules himself could not have suffered more whilst writhing in the poisoned shirt; and had the unlucky boot-maker been there at that moment, it is a hundred to one but he would have undergone the fate of the hapless Lychas--at least he would have stood a good chance of being well pulled by the nose, and perhaps knocked down with the boot-jack. At last--for it is miserable to dwell upon such horrors--at last, the gentleman, sweating at every pore, and wound up almost to madness, thrust his heel once more into the yawning jack, and shutting his eyes, he pulled with such a desperate might, that his foot came forth indeed--but it came forth completely _flayed_. Not only the stocking, but the skin was left behind--and even his very corns were torn up by the roots! Can any one imagine a sharper operation than this must have been? And then to be obliged to undergo a similar operation on the other foot, too!--Really it makes one perspire only to think of it. However, it was inevitable[17]--the other foot was torn away in the same miserable manner, and it came forth from the bottom of the confounded boot almost as skinless as an anatomical preparation! "And now, Sir," said the gentleman, when he had told his story thus far--"and now, Sir, what do you suppose was the cause of all this misery?" "Upon my word," replied the magistrate, "I cannot imagine--I never heard of such a case before." "Why, Sir," continued the gentleman, "it was _cobbler's wax_!" "Cobbler's wax!" echoed his worship. "Cobbler's wax, Sir!" re-echoed the gentleman.--"The rascally boot-maker, in pure revenge for the scolding I gave him--had, with _malice prepense_, lined the foot of each boot with cobbler's wax! and I trust, Sir, you will punish him soundly for such unwarrantable wickedness." The magistrate observed that it was altogether a new case; and, though it certainly was a most unpleasant one, he feared it could not be brought within his jurisdiction. The gentleman suggested that, it would probably come under the Act for _preventing the wanton destruction of property_. His stockings were utterly destroyed; his boots were totally spoiled; and his feet were cruelly scarified! All this had been done wantonly and wilfully, he said; and in corroboration of the premises, he now produced from his pocket the dangling remains of the stockings he wore on the agonizing occasion.