United States or Mexico ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
It was a quiet, unfrequented street, in which the hum of the surrounding city sounded like the roar of a distant cataract. Here Mr Sparks checked his pace stopped and looked about him with evident caution. "Ho, ho!" whispered Little Jim. "We've tracked 'im down," replied the Bloater with a chuckle. Mr Sparks soon found Number 6. On the door a brass plate revealed "Mrs Middleton."
"Will you not consent to give up a thorough scoundrel, who every one condemns?" demanded Mrs Dashwood, with sudden indignation. "Well, that depends " "Bloater," said Mary, with increasing earnestness, "I cannot bribe you I have not the means even if I had the will; but I would not if I could. I scorn bribery.
"Out o' the way!" cried Ned Crashington to two boys who appeared to be rather curious about the operations of the firemen. "I say," exclaimed the Bloater in great excitement, "why that's the 'ouse w'ere Martha lives!" "Who's Martha?" asked Ned, without interrupting his operation of screwing on an additional length of hose. "W'y, the friend o' Joe Dashwood's wife Martha Martha Reading, you know."
They were saved the necessity of packing their trunks for the cogent reason that they had been physically unable to open them, let alone unpack them. Hence they repaired at once to breakfast. Leon was already seated at table, and he hastily cancelled an order for Yarmouth bloater and asked instead for a less fragrant dish. "Good morning, Moe," he said pleasantly. Moe turned to Abe.
'I hope I haven't done anything wrong, sir, but you know I hope that as far as a man can I tries to do the proper thing by all the gentlemen in chambers and more particular those whose lot is hard such as you, for instance, Mr. Heldar. You likes soft-roe bloater, don't you?
"I say," observed the Bloater, poking Little Jim in the ribs, and looking down at him with one eye shut, "you and I shall form an engagement for Friday night shan't we." Little Jim opened his eyes very wide, pressed his mouth very tight, and nodded his head violently. "Well then," continued the Bloater, repeating Sparks's words in a deep stage whisper, "West-End; Friday, at 12 p.m.
Thus they practised during the forenoon the mimic warfare with the flames which they should have to carry into actual operation at night. In another part of the yard a foreman was instructing some recruits in the use of the fire-escape. Under a neighbouring archway stood a small group of idlers looking on at these stirring operations, one of these was Philip Sparks, another was the Bloater.
The Liberals chose as their candidate one Brogden, who had been unseated for bribery at Yarmouth, a fact in his history which did much to enliven trade amongst the local fishmongers, the bloater becoming, as it were, the Tory ensign in all processions and in all public meetings at which the Liberal candidate addressed his future constituents.
Slyme took the bloater from his food basket, but as he was about to put it in the place indicated, he observed that his was rather a larger one than either of the other two. This was an important matter. After they were cooked it would not be easy to say which was which: he might possibly be given one of the smaller ones instead of his own.
At Slater's Mews I found the poor doctor, who had already been there some two hours, packing up the literature, tying up forms, and occasionally turning to Short for instruction or advice. The latter, seated on a packing-case, was regaling himself on a bloater and cheesecakes, having disposed of which he took up a flute and played some snatches of music-hall melodies.
Word Of The Day