“I can’t pay,” said Loman.
“Ah, but the governor can, I’ll wager,” insinuated Cripps.
“He would never do it! It’s no use asking him,” said Loman.
Cripps whistled again.
“That’s awkward. And my friend wants his money, too, and so do I.”
“I really can’t pay,” said Loman. “I say, Cripps, let us off that twenty pounds. I really didn’t mean about that rod.”
Mr Cripps fired up in righteous indignation.
“Ah, I dare say, mister. You’ll come and snivel now, will you? But you were ready enough to cheat a honest man when you saw a chance. No, I’ll have my twenty or else there’ll be a rumpus. Make no mistake of that!”
The bare idea of a “rumpus” cowed Loman at once. Anything but that.
“Come, now,” said Cripps, encouragingly, “I’ll wager you can raise the wind somewheres.”