This was a sort of soliloquy spoken in a tone audible enough to be distinct to us.
He drew his cob-pipe from his mouth, and a huge volume of smoke curled round his head, and filled the room with the aroma of tobacco.
"Now," he continued, "they does not treat me wid any perliteness. They thinks they knows a power more than I does; but if they don't cut their cards square, I'll cut them short of a nigger or two, and make John all the richer by it."
Lindy cut her eye knowingly at this, and gave me rather a strong nudge with her elbow.
"Keep still thar, gals, and don't rattle them cups and sassers so powerful hard."
By this time Lindy had finished the assortment of the silver, and had carefully stowed it away in a willow-basket, ready to be delivered to Miss Jane, and thence consigned to the drawer, where it would remain in statu quo until the timely advent of another guest.
"Now," she said, "I am ready to wipe the dishes, while you wash."
Thereupon I handed her a saucer, which, in her carelessness, she let slip from her hand, and it fell upon the floor, and there, with great consternation, I beheld it lying, shattered to fragments. Mr. Peterkin sprang to his feet, glad of an excuse to vent his temper upon some one.
"Which of you cussed wretches did this?"
"'Twas Ann, master! She let it fall afore I got my hand on it."