Part 53 (2/2)

'Coom, coom, schoolmeasther,' said John, 'dinnot make a fool o' thyself; for if I was to sheake mine-only once-thou'd fa' doon wi' the wind o' it'

'It was you, was it,' returned Squeers, 'that helped off my runaway boy? It was you, was it?'

'Me!' returned John, in a loud tone 'Yes, it wa' me, coom; wa'at o' that? It wa' me Noo then!'

'You hear hi to his daughter 'You hear him say he did it!'

'Did it!' cried John 'I'll tell 'ee ot another roonaway boy, I'd do it agean If thou'd got twonty roonaway boys, I'd do it twonty times ower, and twonty more to thot; and I tell thee more,' said John, 'noo my blood is oop, that thou'rt an old ra'ascal; and that it's weel for thou, thou be'est an old 'un, or I'd ha' poonded thee to flour when thou told an honest mun hoo thou'd licked that poor chap in t' coorch'

'An honest man!' cried Squeers, with a sneer

'Ah! an honest s under seame table wi' such as thou'

'Scandal!' said Squeers, exultingly 'Titnesses to it; Wackford knows the nature of an oath, he does; we shall have you there, sir Rascal, eh?' Mr Squeers took out his pocketbook and ood I should say that orth full twenty pound at the next assizes, without the honesty, sir'

”Soizes,' cried John, 'thou'd betther not talk to me o' 'Soizes Yorkshi+re schools have been shown up at 'Soizes afore noo, mun, and it's a ticklish soobjact to revive, I can tell ye'

Mr Squeers shook his head in a threatening hter's ar little Wackford by the hand, retreated towards the door

'As for you,' said Squeers, turning round and addressing Nicholas, who, as he had caused him to smart pretty soundly on a for any part in the discussion, 'see if I ain't down upon you before long You'll go a kidnapping of boys, will you? Take care their fathers don't turn up-mark that-take care their fathers don't turn up, and send 'em back to me to do as I like with, in spite of you'

'I a his shoulders conte away

'Ain't you!' retorted Squeers, with a diabolical look 'Now then, co'

'I leave such society, withconte the air with such creatures Poor Mr Browdie! He! he! he! I do pity hining 'Tilda!'

With this sudden relapse into the sternest and mostsustained her dignity until the last possible le in the passage

John Browdie re froain, with his mouth wide open, until his hand accidentally fell upon the tankard of ale, when he took it up, and having obscured his features therewith for so breath, handed it over to Nicholas, and rang the bell

'Here, waither,' said John, briskly 'Look alive here Tak' these things awa', and let's have soomat broiled for sooper-vary co sooest pair in the house-and be quick aboot it Dashoot to neeght, noo, to fetch anybody whoa in airnest'

CHAPTER 43

Officiates as a kind of Gentleether The storiven place to a cal was pretty far advanced-indeed supper was over, and the process of digestion proceeding as favourably as, under the influence of complete tranquillity, cheerful conversation, and a moderate allowance of brandy-and-water, most wise men conversant with the anatoht to have proceeded, when the three friends, or as one ious sense, and with proper deference and regard to the holy state ofas no ry threatenings below stairs, which presently attained so high a pitch, and were conveyed besides in language so towering, sanguinary, and ferocious, that it could hardly have been surpassed, if there had actually been a Saracen's head then present in the establish the trunk of a real, live, furious, and most unappeasable Saracen

This tur after the first outburst, (as turislative asse squabble, increased every h the whole din appeared to be raised by but one pair of lungs, yet that one pair was of so powerful a quality, and repeated such words as 'scoundrel,' 'rascal,' 'insolent puppy,' and a variety of expletives no less flattering to the party addressed, with such great relish and strength of tone, that a dozen voices raised in concert under any ordinary circumstances would have made far less uproar and created much smaller consternation

'Why, what's thehastily towards the door

John Broas striding in the sa back in her chair, requested him with a faint voice to take notice, that if he ran into any danger it was her intention to fall into hysterics iht be ht for John looked rather disconcerted by this intelligence, though there was a lurking grin on his face at the sa quite unable to keep out of the fray, he co his wife's ar Nicholas downstairs with all speed

The passage outside the coffee-rooated the coffee-rooether with two or three coachmen and helpers fro ht have been a year or two older than Nicholas, and who, besides having given utterance to the defiances just now described, seenation, inass, while a couple of slippers lay at no great distance froure in an opposite corner, who bore the appearance of having been shot into his present retreat byabout his ears afterwards

The coffee-room customers, and the waiters, and the coach on from behind an open sash -seee froly disposed to take part against the young gentleentle the appearance of an habitual brawler, Nicholas, idisposition to side with the weaker party, and so thrust hiroup, and in a ht seem to warrant, demanded what all that noise was about

'Hallo!' said one of the uise, this is'

'Rooen'l' these sallies, which were uncommonly well received, as sallies at the expense of the best-dressed persons in a crowd usually are, Nicholas glanced carelessly round, and addressing the young gentleman, who had by this time picked up his slippers and thrust his feet into them, repeated his inquiries with a courteous air

'A !' he replied

At this a murmur was raised by the lookers-on, and soh?-Nothing, eh?-He called that nothing, did he? Lucky for hi' These andbeen exhausted, two or three of the out-of-door fellows began to hustle Nicholas and the young gentleainst the on their toes, and so forth But this being a round game, and one not necessarily limited to three or four players, was open to John Browdie too, who, bursting into the little crowd-to the great terror of his wife-and falling about in all directions, now to the right, now to the left, noards, now backwards, and accidentally driving his elbow through the hat of the tallest helper, who had been particularly active, speedily caused the odds to wear a very different appearance; while more than one stout fellow li with tears in his eyes the heavy tread and ponderous feet of the burly Yorkshi+reain,' said he who had been kicked into the corner, rising as he spoke, apparentlyupon him, than from any desire to place himself on equal terain That's all'

'Letlasses behind you there'

Here a waiter who had been rubbing his hands in excessive enjoy of heads was in question, adjured the spectators with great earnestness to fetch the police, declaring that otherwise murder would be surely done, and that he was responsible for all the glass and china on the premises

'No one need trouble hi to reht, and shall be found here in theif there is any assault to answer for'

'What did you strike him for?' asked one of the bystanders

'Ah! what did you strike hientle himself to Nicholas, said: 'You inquired just noas the matter here Thewith a friend in the coffee-roo to bed, (for I have just cooing home at this hour, where I was not expected until tomorrow,) chose to express himself in very disrespectful, and insolently fanised from his description and other circumstances, and whoh to be overheard by the other guests ere present, I informed him most civilly that he was mistaken in his conjectures, which were of an offensive nature, and requested him to forbear He did so for a little ti the room, in a more offensive strain than before, I could not refrain fro his departure by a kick, which reduced him to the posture in which you saw hie ofman, who had certainly not quite recovered from his recent heat; 'if anybody here thinks proper to make this quarrel his own, I have not the smallest earthly objection, I do assure hi under the circumstances detailed, there was certainly not one which, in his then state of mind, could have appeared more laudable to Nicholas than this There were not many subjects of dispute which at that moment could have co the unknown upperhts, it naturally occurred to hiossiper durst have presuhtly of her Influenced by these considerations, he espoused the young gentle that he had done quite right, and that he respected him for it; which John Browdie (albeit not quite clear as to the merits) immediately protested too, with not inferior vehemence

'Let him take care, that's all,' said the defeated party, as being rubbed down by a waiter, after his recent fall on the dusty boards 'He don't knock , I can tell his, if abeat to pieces for it!'

This reflection appeared to have great weight with the young lady in the bar, who (adjusting her cap as she spoke, and glancing at a s indeed; and that if people were to be punished for actions so innocent and natural as that, there would be more people to be knocked down than there would be people to knock theentleirl,' said the young gentle towards the sash

'Nonsense, sir!' replied the young lady sharply, s her lip, (whereat Mrs Browdie, as still standing on the stairs, glanced at her with disdain, and called to her husband to co man 'If admiration of a pretty face were criminal, I should be the most hopeless person alive, for I cannot resist one It has the most extraordinary effect upon me, checks and controls me in the most furious and obstinate mood You see what an effect yours has had uponlady, tossing her head, 'but-'

'Yes, I know it's very pretty,' said the youngwith an air of admiration in the barmaid's face; 'I said so, you know, just this moment But beauty should be spoken of respectfully-respectfully, and in proper ter sense of its worth and excellence, whereas this fellow has nolady interrupted the conversation at this point, by thrusting her head out of the bar-, and inquiring of the waiter in a shrill voice whether that youngto stand in the passage all night, or whether the entrance was to be left clear for other people The waiters taking the hint, and coe their tone too, and the result was, that the unfortunate victi

'I am sure I have seen that fellow before,' said Nicholas

'Indeed!' replied his new acquaintance