“So do I; but let me tell Mr. Bumpkin” (here the learned man shook his forefinger as though it had been the often quoted finger of scorn) “that for every customer you lose we’ll make him answerable in damages. He’ll repeat this slander: take my advice and get some one to look out, and make a note of it—be on your guard!”
Snooks wiped the perspiration from his forehead and then threw his large coloured handkerchief into his hat, which he held by both hands between his knees,
“It be a bad case then, sir?”
“A very bad case for Bumpkin!” replied Mr. Locust; “let me have a list of your customers as soon as you can, and we shall see who leaves you in consequence of this slander. Does my friend, Mr. Overrighteous, deal with you? I think he does?”
“He do, sir, and have for five or six years—and a good customer he be.”
“Ah! now, there’s a man! Whatever you do don’t let Mr. Overrighteous know of it: he would leave you directly: a more particular man than that can’t be. Then again, there is my friend Flythekite, does he deal with you? Of course he does!”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you’ll lose him—sure to lose him.”
Judging from Mr. Snooks’ countenance it would have been small damage if he did.
“Ve-ry well,” continued Locust, after a pause, “ve-ry well—just so.” Then he looked at the copy of the writ and perceived that it was dated eighteen hundred and ninety something instead of eighteen hundred and seventy something. So he said that the writ was wrong and they ought not to appear; “by which means,” said he, “we shall let them in at the start for a lot of costs—we shall let them in.”