There was, however, one individual who, in the days of my childhood, was disposed to form a favourable opinion of me.  One day, a Jew—­I have quite forgotten the circumstance, but I was long subsequently informed of it—­one day a travelling Jew knocked at the door of a farmhouse in which we had taken apartments; I was near at hand sitting in the bright sunshine, drawing strange lines on the dust with my fingers, an ape and dog were my companions; the Jew looked at me and asked me some questions, to which, though I was quite able to speak, I returned no answer.  On the door being opened, the Jew, after a few words, probably relating to pedlery, demanded who the child was, sitting in the sun; the maid replied that I was her mistress’s youngest son, a child weak here, pointing to her forehead.  The Jew looked at me again, and then said:  ’’Pon my conscience, my dear, I believe that you must be troubled there yourself to tell me any such thing.  It is not my habit to speak to children, inasmuch as I hate them, because they often follow me and fling stones after me; but I no sooner looked at that child than I was forced to speak to it—­his not answering me shows his sense, for it has never been the custom of the wise to fling away their words in indifferent talk and conversation; the child is a sweet child, and has all the look of one of our people’s children.  Fool, indeed! did I not see his eyes sparkle just now when the monkey seized the dog by the ear?—­they shone like my own diamonds—­does your good lady want any—­real and fine?  Were it not for what you tell me, I should say it was a prophet’s child.  Fool, indeed! he can write already, or I’ll forfeit the box which I carry on my back, and for which I should be loth to take two hundred pounds!’ He then leaned forward to inspect the lines which I had traced.  All of a sudden he started back, and grew white as a sheet; then, taking off his hat, he made some strange gestures to me, cringing, chattering, and showing his teeth, and shortly departed, muttering something about ‘holy letters,’ and talking to himself in a strange tongue.  The words of the Jew were in due course of time reported to my mother, who treasured them in her heart, and from that moment began to entertain brighter hopes of her youngest born than she had ever before ventured to foster.

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CHAPTER II

Barracks and lodgings—­A camp—­The viper—­A delicate child—­Blackberry time—­Meun and tuum—­Hythe—­The Golgotha—­Daneman’s skull—­Superhuman stature—­Stirring times—­The sea-bord.