"But—but it's not right. You don't understand. It's a serciety. You did the things 'cause you b'longed. You can't go an' tell of them afterwards. You—you don't understand."
"We won't tell of them if you'll pay us off," said Sam.
"Wot about 'till deth'?" said Leopold triumphantly, with an air of bringing forward an irrefutable argument.
William took refuge in sarcasm.
"I b'lieve I've told you," he said, with a passable imitation of Mr. French's manner, "that I've no money. I shall be very glad to make some money for you out of nothing if you'll show me how. Oh, yes! If you can show someone wot's not got any money how to make some money out of nothing, I'll make some for you—as much as you like. Oh, yes! I hope," he ended, remembering one of Mr. French's favourite phrases, "that I make myself quite clear."
They gazed at him in unwilling admiration of his eloquence. Sam brought them back to the matter in hand.
"It needn't be money," he said. "All we say is we oughter get something for all the trouble an' danger we've took for you. Something to eat would do—something nice an' big."
"Yes, an' how am I to get it?" demanded William, indignantly. "D'you want me to starve? D'you think my folks would look on an' watch me starve to death givin' my food to you?—jus' 'cause you went an' put an ole scarecrow in someone's garden? D'you think that's a good reason for one person to starve to death, 'cause another person put a scarecrow in another person's garden?"
They were aware that in rhetoric William soared far beyond them.
"Well, we'll go home with you," said Sam, ignoring the argument.