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"Why, it be this, Peter," said the old man, hobbling nearer, and peering up into my face, "ever since the time as I went an' found ye, I've thought as theer was summ'at strange about 'ee, what wi' your soft voice an' gentle ways; an' it came on me all at once about three o' the clock's arternoon, as you might be a dook in disguise, Peter.
'Ah! says I, 'fell on 'is 'ead out o' the chaise, says I, 'struck a stone, or summ'at, says I. 'Did 'e fall of 'is own accord? says the doctor.
Is there summ'at deadly sticking to my clothes? What's let loose upon us? Who loosed it? Silas Wegg, being on his road to the Roman Empire, approaches it by way of Clerkenwell. The time is early in the evening; the weather moist and raw.
"You've said pretty well, I think," said I; "supposing you tell me what you have to tell me otherwise good night!" "Very well then!" said the Pedler, "let's talk o' summ'at else; still livin' in the 'Oller, I suppose?" "Yes." "Ah, well! I come through there today," said he, grinning, and again his eyes grew malevolent. "Indeed?" "Ah! indeed!
I've waited and waited till I be so ravenous as a lion an' tiger but 'ere 'e be at last, Peter, 'ere 'e be, so let's go in an' eat summ'at." Saying which, he turned his back upon his discomfited tormentors, and led me into the kitchen of the inn. And there were the white-capped maids setting forth such a breakfast as only such a kitchen could produce.
Any one as stares at the moon when 'e might be doin' summ'at better is a fool, as great a fool as any man as stares at a Eve, for a Eve never brought any man nothin' but trouble and sorrer, and never will, no'ow? Don't frown, young cove, nor shake your 'ead, for it's true; wot's caused more sorrer an' blood than them Eves? Blood? ah! rivers of it!
'Might you be inclined to leave any name, Captain? 'No, not at all. I have no such intention. "Shall" is summ'at of a hard word, Captain, urged Riderhood, still feebly dodging between him and the door, as he advanced. 'When you say a man "shall" sign this and that and t'other, Captain, you order him about in a grand sort of a way. Don't it seem so to yourself?
The old man lay in his great four-post bed, propped up with pillows, and with Prue beside him, to smooth his silver hair with tender fingers, and Black George towering in the shade of the bed-curtains, like a grieving giant. "'Ere I be, Peter," said the old man, beckoning me feebly with his hand, "'ere I be at the partin' o' the ways, an' wi' summ'at gone wrong wi' my innards!
"As how?" "Well, I never 'eard of a gentleman turnin' 'isself into a blacksmith, afore, for one thing " "Still, one might," I ventured. "No," answered the Postilion, with a decisive shake of the head, "it's ag'in' natur'; when a gentleman gets down in the world, an' 'as to do summ'at for a livin', 'e generally shoots 'isself ah! an' I've knowed 'em do it too!
Oceans of good blood's been spilt all along o' women, from the Eve as tricked old Adam to the Eve as tricks the like o' me, or say yourself." Here he regarded me with so evil a leer that I turned my back in disgust. "Don't go, young cove; I ain't done yet, and I got summ'at to tell ye." "Then tell it!" said I, stopping again, struck by the fellow's manner, "and tell it quickly."
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