The talk bewildered Tom, who, however, needs must listen, and presently he was attracted towards the inner room, where half a dozen young men, with heads almost as bald as those of infants, were arguing and laughing about the curl and fashion and set of their wigs, which were all standing in a row upon the blocks, and being cleverly and carefully manipulated by the deft hands of a small and dapper man, in a neat but not inelegant suit of brown cloth, ornamented by rather large silver buttons, whom Tom saw at a glance must be Master Cale the perruquier, although all his customers called him “Curley.”

Heads were turned upon Tom’s entrance, but the gentlemen only vouchsafed him a haughty stare, whilst the perruquier bid him be seated till he had leisure to attend to him.  He then adjusted upon each head its own wig, amid much jesting and gossiping that was all Greek to Tom; after which the gallants filed out with much noise and laughter, and the little man turned to his unknown customer.

“What can I do for you, young sir?” and his eyes instinctively sought the head of the rustic youth, which was crowned with his own fairly abundant locks of dark brown.

“I come to you, Master Cale, with a few words in writing from one calling himself Captain Jack, whom I met in Epping Forest, and who told me I should be fleeced and beggared in a week if I fell into the hands of the sharpers of London town; but that if I sought lodging and counsel from you, I might learn my lesson without being ruined thereby.  Here is the note he sent to you.”

The shrewd face of the little perruquier had taken an almost eager look as the name of Captain Jack passed Tom’s lips.  His eyes scanned the youth from head to foot, and when Tom took out and handed him the note which had been given him, he seized it and read it eagerly, after which he turned to his new client, and said: 

“This billet, young sir, would be enough to secure you a welcome from me.  Tell me of my good friend Captain Jack.  Ah! if he could have but stuck to honest trade, he and I might have made our fortunes together ere now.  Never was such a figure for showing off coat or vest or sash, or a head upon which a peruke sat with a daintier grace.  But come, let us sit down together and quaff a cup of wine, and you shall tell me all your history.”

Dusk was falling between the high walls of the houses, and business was over for the day.  Cale led his guest into a room on the basement floor, where a simple but substantial refection had been laid out.  He called out to his apprentice to get his supper in the kitchen; and when the door was shut upon the pair, he listened with interest whilst Tom gave a very fairly accurate history of his own life up till the present moment.

Then the little man shook his head with an air of wisdom.

“The best advice I could give you, my young friend, is that you should go home to your mother and your friends in Essex, and seek to learn no more of the wickedness of the world than you know already.  But I suppose no words of mine would induce you to take that course.”