SCENE VII.
“Help! help! Oh! you murderous little villin? this is vot you calls rowing, is it?—but if ever I gets safe on land again, I'll make you repent it, you rascal. I'll row you—that I will.”
“MISTER Vaterman, vot's your fare for taking me across?”
“Across, young 'ooman? vy, you looks so good-tempered, I'll pull you over for sixpence?”
“Are them seats clean?”
“O! ker-vite:—I've just swabb'd 'em down.”
“And werry comfortable that'll be! vy, it'll vet my best silk?”
“Vatered silks is all the go. Vel! vell! if you don't like; it, there's my jacket. There, sit down a-top of it, and let me put my arm round you.”
“Fellow!”
“The arm of my jacket I mean; there's no harm in that, you know.”
“Is it quite safe? How the wind blows!”
“Lord! how timorsome you be! vy, the vind never did nothin' else since I know'd it.”
“O! O! how it tumbles! dearee me!”
“Sit still! for ve are just now in the current, and if so be you go over here, it'll play old gooseberry with you, I tell you.”
“Is it werry deep?”
“Deep as a lawyer.”
“O! I really feel all over”—
“And, by Gog, you'll be all over presently—don't lay your hand on my scull!”
“You villin, I never so much as touched your scull. You put me up.”
“I must put you down. I tell you what it is, young 'ooman, if you vant to go on, you must sit still; if you keep moving, you'll stay where you are—that's all! There, by Gosh! we're in for it.” At this point of the interesting dialogue, the young 'ooman gave a sudden lurch to larboard, and turned the boat completely over. The boatman, blowing like a porpoise, soon strode across the upturned bark, and turning round, beheld the drenched “fare” clinging to the stern.
“O! you partic'lar fool!” exclaimed the waterman. “Ay, hold on a-stern, and the devil take the hindmost, say I!”