'Can't expect what? to beat the world? You jes' wait a bit, till you see. You jes' only wait a bit.'
'What do you think of England and America going into partnership?' asked Mr. Bounder, bending to pick up a refuse stem that Mrs. Blumenfeld had rejected. 'Think we couldn't be a match for most things u-nited?'
'I find myself a match for most things, as it is,' returned the lady promptly.
'But you must want help sometimes?' said Christopher, with a sharp and somewhat sly glance at her.
'When I do, I git it,—or I do without it.'
'That's when you can't get the right kind.'
'Jes' so.'
'It ain't for a man properly to say what he can do or what he can't do; words is but breath, they say; and those as know a man can give a pretty good guess what he's good for; but, however, when he's speakin' to them as don't know him, perhaps it ain't no more but fair that he should be allowed to speak for himself. Now if I say that accordin' to the best o' my knowledge and belief, what I offer you is the right kind o' help, you won't think it's brag or bluster, I hope?'
'Why shouldn't I?' said the little woman. But Christopher thought the tone of the words was not discouraging. 'They does allays practise fence,' he thought to himself.
'Well, mum, if you hev ever been up to our place in the summer-time, you may hev seen our garden; and to a lady o' your experience I needn't to say no more.'