“Every mother’s son of them,” said Jem, lighting a lucifer; “if you come to that, Master Ned, hand me over some of that pine-apple. But now, about the tour; how much money are you going to spend on it, Dick?” “Well, I haven’t quite settled,” said I; “but I shouldn’t mind, now, going as high as four or five pounds, if I can suit myself.” “You may go pretty near to Jericho for that now-a-days,” said Neddy. “As I came along Holborn to-night, I saw a great placard outside the George and Blue Boar, with ‘to Llangollen and back 15_s._’ on it. What do you think of that? You’ll be turned out at the station there with £4 5_s._ in your pocket.” “Where’s Llangollen?” said I. “Not half-way to Jericho,” shouted Jem, with a laugh. “Where’s Llangollen? Why didn’t you ever hear the song of Kitty Morgan, the maid of Llangollen? You’re a pretty fellow to go touring.” “Yes, fifty times,” said I; “only the song don’t tell you where the place is--where is it now?” “In Wales, of course,” said he, thinking he had me. “Yes, I know that; but whereabouts in Wales,” said I, “for Wales is a biggish place. Is it near any thing one reads about in books, and ought to go and see?” “Hanged if I know exactly,” said Jem, puffing away; “only of course Wales is worth seeing.” “So is France,” struck in Neddy; “why, you may go to Paris and stay a fortnight for I don’t know how little.” “Aye, or to Edinburgh or the Lakes,” said Jem. “I want to have the particulars though,” said I; “I’m not going to start off to some foreign place, and find myself with no money to spend and enjoy myself with, when I get there.” “I’ll tell you what,” said Neddy, jumping up, “I’ll just run round to the Working Men’s College, and borrow a Bradshaw from the secretary. We shall find all the cheap excursions there;” and away he went before we could say a word. “I say,” said Jem to me, “how fond he is of bringing up that place; he’s always at me to go and enter there.” “So he is at me,” said I, “and I think I shall, for he seems to pick up a lot of things there. How sharp he is at figures! and he knows more history and geography ten to one than I do. I’ll bet he knew what county Llangollen is in, and something about it too. Let’s ask him when he comes back.” “Catch me!” said Jem; “he’ll look it out on the map on his way back, or ask one of the lecturers.” “Here you are! look here!” said Neddy, tumbling in with two Bradshaws and a great atlas under his arm; “‘unprecedented attraction, pleasure excursions,’ let me see--Return tickets for Ireland, available for a fortnight. Waterford, 1_l._ 16_s._; Cork, 2_l._” “Nonsense!” cried Jem, who had got the other Bradshaw; “listen here: ‘Channel Islands, (remarkable as being the only remaining Norman possessions of the British crown,) second class and fore cabin, 21_s._” “‘London to Dieppe, return tickets available for fourteen days, second class, 21_s._,’” sung out Ned, from the other Bradshaw.