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Like George Aspel, he had descended from a higher level in the social scale. Of course, his language proved that he had never been in the rank of a gentleman, but in manners and appearance he was much above the unhappy outcasts amongst whom he dwelt. "Now, guv'nor, I'm at your sarvice," he said. "This is my way. Is it yours?" "Yes any way will do," continued Aspel. "Now let me hear about you.
"No more a hidyot than yourself, young man, nor a minus neither," cried the woman, swelling with indignation, and red in the face. Just then a lady entered the shop, and approached the counter hurriedly. "Oh!" she exclaimed, almost in a shriek of astonishment, "Mr Aspel!" "Mr Aspel, indeed," cried the woman, with ineffable scorn, "Mr Impudence, more like. Give me my bird, I say!"
"Indeed? that reminds me: we always pay salaries in advance in this office. Here is a sovereign to account of your first quarter. We can settle the amount afterwards." Aspel accepted the coin with a not particularly good grace. "Now then, you had better ha excuse me put up the shutters." Instantly the youth pulled out the sovereign and laid it on the counter.
"Well, sir, I know that you can do nothing, but now that my wife and child are actually starvin', I really don't see the sin of helpin' myself to a loaf at the nearest baker's, and giving him leg-bail for it." "Nothing justifies stealing," said Aspel. "D'ee think not, sir?" said Bones.
Evidently the missionary thought so too, for, with a quiet bow, he turned and went his way. At the end of a remarkably dark passage George Aspel ran his head against a beam and his knee against a door with considerable violence. "Come in," said a very weak but sweet little voice, as though doors in that region were usually rapped at in that fashion.
If May had only shown confusion, or shyness, or anything but free-and-easy goodwill, hope might have revived, but he was evidently nothing more to her than the old playmate. Hope therefore died, and with its death there came over Aspel the calm subdued air of a crushed but resigned man. He observed her somewhat worn face and his heart melted. He resolved to act a brother's part to her.
These he placed on a rickety table, and Aspel wrote a scrawly note, in which he gave himself very bad names, and begged Mr Blurt to come and see him, as he had got into a scrape, and could by no means see his way out of it. Having folded the note very badly, he rose with the intention of going out to post it, but his friend offered to post it for him.
Only now, after pressin' her and aunt Georgie wery hard, have I bin allowed to let it out, for poor Aspel himself don't want his whereabouts to be known." "Surely!" exclaimed Phil, with a troubled, anxious air, "he has not become a criminal." "No. Auntie assures me he has not, but he is sunk very low, drinks hard to drown his sorrow, and is ashamed to be seen. No wonder.
With his assistance the shutter was affixed and secured. "Thank you, friend, whoever you are," said Aspel heartily, as he turned and followed the panting Mrs Murridge. But the "friend," instead of replying, seized Aspel by the arm and walked with him into the shop. "George Aspel!" he said. George looked down and beheld the all but awe-stricken visage of Philip Maylands.
Aspel laughed at the consummate self-possession of the boy, and shaking hands with him heartily as a comrade of their common friend Phil, bade him take a seat, which he immediately did on the counter. "You're surrounded by pleasant company here," observed Pax, gazing intently at the pelican of the wilderness. "Well, yes; but it's rather silent company," said Aspel.
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