“Then I’ve done you good, Ginger,” ses Isaac, clapping ’im on the back.
“You ’ave,” ses Ginger, speaking between his teeth, “and I thank you for it. I don’t want drink; but I thought o’ going to a music-’all this evening.”
“Going to wot?” ses old Isaac, drawing ’imself up and looking very shocked.
“A music-’all,” ses Ginger, trying to keep ’is temper.
“A music-’all,” ses Isaac; “why, it’s worse than a pub, Ginger. I should be a very poor friend o’ yours if I let you go there—I couldn’t think of it.”
“Wot’s it got to do with you, you gray-whiskered serpent?” screams Ginger, arf mad with rage. “Why don’t you leave us alone? Why don’t you mind your own business? It’s our money.”
Isaac tried to talk to ’im, but ’e wouldn’t listen, and he made such a fuss that at last the coffee-shop keeper told ’im to go outside. Peter follered ’im out, and being very upset they went and spent their day’s allowance in the first hour, and then they walked about the streets quarrelling as to the death they’d like old Isaac to ’ave when ’is time came.
They went back to their lodgings at dinner-time; but there was no sign of the old man, and, being ’ungry and thirsty, they took all their spare clothes to a pawnbroker and got enough money to go on with. Just to show their independence they went to two music-’alls, and with a sort of idea that they was doing Isaac a bad turn they spent every farthing afore they got ’ome, and sat up in bed telling ’im about the spree they’d ’ad.
At five o’clock in the morning Peter woke up and saw, to ’is surprise, that Ginger Dick was dressed and carefully folding up old Isaac’s clothes. At first ’e thought that Ginger ’ad gone mad, taking care of the old man’s things like that, but afore ’e could speak Ginger noticed that ’e was awake, and stepped over to ’im and whispered to ’im to dress without making a noise. Peter did as ’e was told, and, more puzzled than ever, saw Ginger make up all the old man’s clothes in a bundle and creep out of the room on tiptoe.
“Going to ’ide ’is clothes?” ’e ses.