midday
He had now three children of his own , and the necessity of eschewing skittles , and presiding over the sawpit , became urgent . With all his vices and his roughness , he was surprisingly fond of me . He , too , applauded my spirit in attacking himself . He now rejoiced to take me to the sawpit , to allow me to play about the timber-yards , and share with him his _ alfresco _ midday meal and pot of porter . I always passed for his eldest son , my name being told to the neighbours as Ralph Rattlin Brandon . I knew no otherwise , and my foster-parents kept the secret religiously . At seven I began to fight with dirty little urchins in the street , who felt much scandalised at the goodness of my clothes .