Peace was a little discomposed at this speech, which was delivered with an earnestness and power which seemed to go right through him.
“No, Bill, we aint come to that as yet. Let’s hope there’ll never be any occasion for us to be brought to such an extremity.”
“Brought be blowed!” said Rawton. “Prigging’s one thing and murder another. If you lift a few things from a crib as you enter, while the owner and his wirtuous family are asleep, why, well and good; the loss of them won’t ruin him—indeed, in a manner of speaking, it won’t perhaps do him a morsel of harm; but taking human life, old pal, is a horse of a different colour, an’ I’d rather give myself up, let alone being ‘copped,’ than rob a cove of his life. ’Cause, you see, Charlie, life is a precious gift, and when once taken, it be a gift it aint in the power of mortal man to restore; and you know it’s dear to everyone ov us, however hard-up and miserable we may be.”
“I tell you what it is, Bill, I’m blowed if some sanctimonious parson aint been getting at you—there’s no mistake about that.”
“You make a jolly big mistake if you suppose that. I aint sed a word to any parson, nor has one sed even so much as a word to me; but that don’t much matter. Prigging’s one thing, murder’s another.”
“Well—who says it aint?” cried Peace, petulantly. “We’ve not come out on a preaching tour—have we?”
“No, I dunno as we have; but you mustn’t talk about shooting your man down, ’cause, in the first place you’ll be a jolly fool to do so; and in the next the chances are you’ll never have a happy hour arter.”
“You’re a jolly old hypocrite, Bill!” exclaimed Peace, laughing in his turn—“a thundering old hypocrite!”
“Am I? Well, I s’pose I am, if you say so. But them’s my sentiments and always were, come what may. I don’t intend to go in for murder or manslaughter. As to giving a cove a crack on the head when he becomes troublesome that’s another matter, but shooting or stabbing aint in my line, and, as I said afore, I hope it never will be.”
“You never know what you may be brought to, so don’t you make cock sure of being free from temptation.”