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'She's not very well to-night; she has got a headache; there ain't many of them here to-night, so she's lying down. 'A little seedy, I suppose, said Scatterall. Charley felt rather angry with his friend for applying such an epithet to his lady-love; however, he did not resent it, but sitting down, lighted his pipe and sipped his gin and water.
'I wonder will they do anything for a fellow? 'I heard my uncle, in Parliament Street, say, that when a chap has got any infested interest in a thing, they can't turn him out, said Corkscrew; 'and my uncle is a parliamentary agent. 'Can't they though! said Scatterall. 'It seems to me that they mean to, at any rate; there wasn't a word about pensions or anything of that sort, was there, Mr.
'Oh, that's nonsense Scatterall is as good as anybody I couldn't ask any of the other fellows they are such a low set. 'But Mr. Scatterall is so unpunctual. There's your cousin, Mr. Alaric Tudor. 'My cousin Alaric! Oh, nonsense! you don't suppose I'd ask him to do such a thing? You might as well tell me to go to my father. 'Or that other gentleman you live with; Mr. Norman.
What the deuce is in the wind, Dick? Mr. Scatterall's Christian name was Richard. 'Where's Corkscrew? Mr. Corkscrew was also a navvy, and was one of those to whom Charley had specially alluded when he spoke of the low set. 'Oh, here's a regular go, said Scatterall. 'It's all up with Corkscrew, I believe. 'Why, what's the cheese now?
They both understood that there was something fast in frequenting Mrs. Davis's inner parlour, something slow in remaining at home; and so they both sat there, and Mrs. Davis went on with her darning-needle, nothing abashed. 'Well, I think I shall go, said Scatterall, shaking off the last ash from the end of his third cigar.
So Charley sat meditative over his lock entries, and allowed even his proposed vengeance on Mr. Snape to be delayed. 'I say, Charley, said Scatterall, coming over and whispering to him, 'you couldn't lend me half a crown, could you? Charley said nothing, but looked on his brother navvy in a manner that made any other kind of reply quite unnecessary.
'Do, said Charley; 'you should be careful, you know; late hours will hurt your complexion. 'It's so deuced dull, said Scatterall. 'Why don't you go into the parlour, and have a chat with the gentlemen? suggested Mrs. Davis; 'there's Mr. Peppermint there now, lecturing about the war; upon my word he talks very well. 'He's so deuced low, said Scatterall.
Oldeschole is ready to see you. Charley sat down at his desk opposite to his friend Scatterall. 'I hope, Mr. Snape, you had a pleasant meeting at evening prayers yesterday, said he, with a tone of extreme interest. 'You had better mind the lock entries at present, Mr. Tudor; they are greatly in arrear. 'And the evening meetings are docketed up as close as wax, I suppose.
Come, what do you say to chops and stout all round? Dick will go over and order it in a minute. 'I wish you wouldn't, Charley, said the navvy who seemed to be most affected, and who, in his present humour, could not endure a joke, As Mr. Snape did not seem to accede to Charley's views, the liberal proposition fell to the ground. 'Care killed a cat, said Scatterall.
And so they sat for the next quarter of an hour, saying very little to each other. What was the nature of the attraction which induced two such men as Charley Tudor and Dick Scatterall to give Mrs. Davis the benefit of their society, while she was mending her stockings, it might be difficult to explain.
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