Part 9 (1/2)
”Oh, bring it up!” cried Croucher under his breath.
”Well, if you didn't stiffen that copper on the night o' the sufferygite disturbance--an' we know you didn't--then somebody else did!”
”You don't mean to tell me you know who did?”
There had been a tense though tiny pause; there was another while Shoddy changed the torch to his right hand, and blew a cloud over the head of his now rec.u.mbent companion.
”I know what everybody says, Alfie.”
”More than their prayers, I'll bet, like they did before. Wot do they say?”
”One o' the sufferygites----”
”Corpsed the copper?”
”That's it, old man.”
”And I never thought of it!”
”It bears some thinkin' about, don't it?” said Shoddy. ”Why, you're trem'lin' like a blessed leaf!”
”I should think I was trem'lin'! So would you if you'd been through wot I been ... Shod!”
”Yuss, Alfie?”
”I see the 'ole blessed thing!”
”I thought you would.”
”It was 'er wot broke the jooler's winder for me!”
”That's wot they say.”
”They? Who?”
”Lots o' people. I 'eard it down some mews: some o' the pipers 'ave 'inted at it. Topham's in fair 'ot water all round; they say 'e's 'ushed it up because she's in serciety.”
”Wot's 'er nime, Shod?”
”Lidy Moyle--Lidy Vera Moyle, I think it is. And 'ere's another thing, a thing that I was forgettin'.”
”Out with it.”
”I see 'er come 'ere this afternoon, whilst I was watchin' the 'ouse in case you come out.”
”My Gawd, Shoddy! Let me sit up. I can't breathe lyin' down.”
”She 'ad some flowers wiv 'er,” said Shoddy, pursuing his reminiscences.
”Looks as though she's got a friend in the 'ome.”
”I'm the friend,” said Mr. Croucher grimly. ”Take and run yer light over that wash-stand; the guv'nor brought 'em up 'isself wiv these 'ere smokes.”