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"Good morning, young sir, and remember now, if you should ever feel like being a gentleman it's quite easy all as you've got to do is to read the instructions in that theer priceless wollum mark 'em learn 'em, and inwardly di-gest 'em, and you'll be a gentleman afore you know it."
"Lord, love me! any one could be a gentleman by just reading and inwardly di-gesting o' this here priceless wollum; it's all down here in print, an' nice bold type, too pat as you please.
Now hereupon Barnabas smiled, a very pleasant smile and radiant with youth, whereat the Chapman's pinched features softened for pure good fellowship, and for the moment he almost wished that he had charged less for the "priceless wollum," as, so smiling, Barnabas turned and strode away, London-wards.
But you, sir," continued the Pedler, beginning to eat with great appetite, "you, being a reg'lar 'eavy-toddler now, one o' the gilded nobs and all on account o' that there priceless wollum as I give away to you for five bob! you, being now a blue-blooded aris-to-crat, don't 'ave to walk, so you can go in for plovers or pheasants or partridges, dressed up in hartichokes, p'r'aps, yes frogs'-legs is your constant fodder now, p'r'aps not to mention rag-outs and sich.
Oh, it's all true, young sir; it's all wrote down here in this priceless wollum." Here he tapped the book upon his knee. "Ye see, with the Quality it is quality as counts not quantity. It's flavor as is their constant want, or, as you might say, desire; flavor in their meat, in their drink, and above all, in their books; an' see you, I sell books, an' I know."
The British public will never run dry. I'm cheap John! Here they are, all for nothin', on loan; small wollum the title ain't clear, ah! The Little Man as Lost his Mother; big wollum Shakespeare; Pickwick; books by Hesba Stretton; Almanac; Missionary Williams; Polar Seas an' Regions; Pilgrim's Progress all sorts to suit all tastes Catechisms, Noo Testaments, Robinson Crusoe."
Oh, yes, I reckon you've done a lot, and seen a lot, and eat a lot since the morning as I give you a priceless wollum worth its weight in solid gold as was wrote by a Person o' Quality and all for five bob! jest because them larks 'appened to be singing so sentimental drat 'em! Ah well," sighed the Pedler, bolting the last morsel of beef, "and 'ow did you find London, young sir?"
While he was thus engaged one of the men whispered in his ear, "A coper alongside, sir." The skipper shut the "wery best wollum" at once, and ordered out the boat. "Put a cask o' oysters in her," he said. Usually his men were eager to go with their skipper, but on this night some of them were so interested in the books they were reading that they preferred to remain on board.
Lord, what should I mean, but that there book on Ettyket, as I sold you that priceless wollum as I give you for five bob, months ago, when the larks was a-singing so inspiring." "Yes, it was a lovely morning, I remember."
Hereupon he put on his hat again, and fell into his swinging stride. "So," said he, "that point being settled it remains to master the intricacies of the bow." Saying which, he once more had recourse to the "priceless wollum," and walked on through the glory of the morning, with his eyes upon the valuable instructions of the "Person of Quality."
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