“Nothin’ else?”
“Not much. One or two things I got on to, but they didn’t last. Know the laundry over the Cut? Well they took me on there to run the engine, an’ sacked me in a week. Said I was asleep! Measly swine. Much the same at other places. Seemed to want to treat me like—like any common feller. But I showed ’em different to that!”
“Ah!” commented Uncle Isaac absently. He was wondering which way to lead the walk, and how to take leave of his companion. But his invention was at a stand, and presently the other went on.
“Well,” he said, “you ain’t got so much to say as you used. Know any job you can put me on to?”
“No, I don’t,” replied Uncle Isaac with gloomy simplicity. “Trade’s bad—very bad. I bin workin’ short time meself, an’ standin’ auf day after day. Stood auf to-day.”
“Well then, lend us a bob.”
Uncle Isaac started, and made the space between them a foot wider. “Reely, Mr. Butson, I—”
“All right, make it two bob then, if you’d rather. You’ve ’ad more ’n that out o’ me one time an’ another.”
“But—but I tell you I’m unfort’net meself. I bin standin’ auf day after day—”
“Seems to me you’re tryin’ to stand auf as much as ye can now. Look ’ere.” Mr. Butson stood and faced Uncle Isaac. “I’m broke, clean broke, an’ worse. I’m ’ungry.”