“No, I beant; I left un all in the hands o’ my lawyer, and I believe he’s a goodun, bean’t he?”
“Let me see; O dear, yes, a capital man—a very good man indeed, a close shaver.”
“Is ur? and that’s what I want. I wants thic feller shaved as close to his chin as may be.”
“Ah!” said O’Rapley, “and Prigg will shave him, and no mistake. Well, and how did we get on at the Mansion House? First of all, who was against you?—Mrs. Oldtimes, I think I’ll just take a very small quantity more, it has quite removed my indigestion—who was against you, sir?”
“Mr. Nimble; but, lor, he worn’t nowhere; I had un to rights,—jest gi’e me a leetle more, missus,—he couldn’t axe I a question I couldn’t answer; and I believe he said as good, for I zeed un talking to the Lord Mayor; it worn’t no use to question I.”
“You didn’t say anything about me?”
“No,” answered Bumpkin, in a loud whisper; “I din’t; but I did say afore I could stop the word from comin’ out o’ my mouth as I had a companion, but they didn’t ketch it, except that the gentleman under the lord mayor were gwine to ax about thee, and blowed if the counsellor didn’t stop un; so that be all right.”
“Capital!” exclaimed the great bowler, waving his arm as if in the act of delivery; then, in a whisper, “Did they ask about the woman?”
“Noa—they doan’t know nowt about thic—not a word; I was mighty plased at un, for although, as thee be aware, it be the biggest lie as ever wur heard, I
wouldn’t have my wife hear o’ sich to save my life. She be a good wife to I an’ allays have a bin; but there I thee could clear me in a minute, if need be, sir.”