"How now?" he demanded. "What's your ploy?"
"Look'ee Benno, if you're a-hiding of some dimber mort aloft there I'm the cove to——"
"Ah, you're lushed, Jerry, foxed t' your peepers, sit down—sit down and put away your popp—afore I crack your mazzard!"
Sulkily enough Jerry obeyed and seating himself at the table turned, ever and anon, to view the ladder with a drunken stare.
"Lushed am I?" he repeated. "Drunk hey? Well, so I am and when lushed 'tis at my best I am, my lad. And look'ee a ladder's meant for to climb ain't it? Very well then—I'm the cove to climb it! And look'ee, what's more 'tis a curst dog-hole this for a genty-cove o' the high pad and——" But here his companion roared again for "Old Bet" and "Lights" until the old woman hobbled in.
"Eh, eh?" she whimpered, blinking from one to the other. "Did ye call, dearie?"
"Aye—bring more glims, d'ye hear——"
"Candles, dearie, eh—eh?"
"Aye, candles! And I'm expecting company, so bring candles and get ye to bed, d'ye hear?"
"Aye, aye, I hear, dearie, I hear—candles, candles," and muttering the word she hobbled away and presently was back again and stood, mowing and mumbling, to watch the candles lighted.