The Soldier's Wife — page 128: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

es , é many of you still obliged to come to me—and aay add tiiumphantly, that the sule of my superfine bear’s-grease has scarcely fallen off.” “T tell you what it is, Mr. Bates,” said Mr. Sheepwash, who considered himself a very ex- eellent speaker, “ I say it for myself—and when I say it for myself, I mean that I am speaking on my own account indiwidually, and not col- lectively,—leastways as a umble inhabitant of this here willage—and it may be that I am ex- pressing the opinions of other honorable gen- tlemen which is now present,—lI say therefore, Mr. Bates, that there wouldn’t be no objection to you if so be you weuld just clear up them littie suspicious things which is floating about in. men’s minds agin you!” cr oe, ae things?” demanded Bates, with matchless effrontery, though he had no difficulty in guessing the subject of Mr. Sheep- wash’s allusion. “ Why, I mean,” responded this erudite per- sonage—‘“and when I say I mean, it is that I want you to understand—leastways to compre- hend—both on my part and on the part of the honorable gents which I beholds around me on this memorable occasion, that it’s vispered— and when I say vispered, I mean it’s spoke out aloud, that you, Mr. Bates, should have tam- pered with the wiolability of correspondence passed through your hands.” “Then I say it’s a lie!” ejaculated the bar- ber, striking his clenched fist upon the table, so that every one of the pewter pots and glasses performed a pirouette at the imminent risk of upsetting. “ Who accuses me ?” “T do,” said Mr. Mummery, the baker, laying down his pipe and looking awfully stern. “Well, but about that there fifty pound-note,” said the barber, nothing discomfited, “I had to pay it, and that shows I was an honest man. ut who knows that you, Mummery, ever put it into the letter?” “How comed it,” asked Mummery, “that long before I paid my brother-in-law back that money, you, Mr. Bates, went whispering about in Oakleigh to whoever would listen to you, that I had borrowed it! How did you know this, I say?” asked the baker, waxing wrathtful, “unless you had opened some of the letters that had passed betwixt me and my brother-in-law ?” “ Oh! them kind of things,” answered Bates, with a contemptuous toss of the head, “soon get wind!”—and then he added maliciously, “When people passes themselves off as being warm and well-to-do when they’re nothing of the sort, they can’t keep the mask on their faces long.” . But I want to know now,” spoke Mr. Jud- kins, who was a mean-looking man, “how it was, Mr. Bates, that you came to learn about|Sheepwash,’ a| ‘you've hit him hard, Sheepwash—put it in a my writing to the mercer at Middleton for THE SOLDIER'S WIFE. 109 constantly receiving galvanic shocks,—“ come, Bates—this wont do, Bates—it’s not right, Bates—you don’t meet the question fair, Bates —it looks queer, Bates—Id stick up for you if [ could, Bates—but I can’t, Bates—and that’s all about it, Bates.” “But [ want to know,” said Mr. Clegg, a short savage-looking man, with very long features, and a sepulchral voice, “ how it was that you found out [ had the misfortune to have a bill protested at Middleton? You told Sir Archy Redburn of it six months ago; and the Baronet told Davis to look precious sharp after my rent in consequence. Now, sir, will you ex- plain that matter ?” “Yes, now—come explain it, Bates,” ejacu- lated Mr. Whippersnapper. ‘ You must ex- plain it, Bates—you can’t get off it, Bates—out it must come, Bates—there’s no use shilly-shally- ing, Bates--we’re down upon you, Bates—and nv mistake, Bates—I can tell you, Bates.” “Well, since we are talking on these things,” exclaimed Mr. Pocock, another of the guests: “T have got a question to put to Mr. Bates, and I should like him to tell me how it was he found out that I had quarrelled with my father- in-law at Coventry—and how one day a letter | had from my father-in-law came to be sealed with two ditterent colored waxes? Why, I showed the letter to friend Tripes here; and it was as clear as daylight! There was the red wax over the blue, quite plain.” “Ah! Bates—it begins to look queer, Bates, precious queer, Bates,” again chimed in Mr. Whippersnapper. “ What about the father- in-law, Bates—and the quarrel, Bates—-and telling friend Tripe about it, Bates—that’s the worst point, Bates—telling friend Tripes, Bates —it don’t look well, Bates—what made you tell friend Tripes, Bates?” “Now, Mr. Bates,” resumed Mr. Sheepwash, “you have heard what these honorable gents have to say on the,subject; and when I ob- serve you have heerd what they say, I mean what I say—leastways that you’ve listened to them accusations. But it’s my dooty to put a question to you; and when I say a question, I mean a somethin that wants a answer, least- ways areply. Why was it you was had up to London to see the Postmaster-General—or leastways the General Postmaster—in the hautumn of last year? Wasn’t it about a bank-note as was missing out of a letter sent to our friend Mr. Brogden, who I do not see here this evening—and when I say I don’t see him here, I mean that he’s not present—leastways that he isn’t with us en this highly important oceasion.” “That’s it, Sheepwash cried Mr. you've done it well, Whippersnapper : little accommodation in the shape of credit,|nut-shell, Sheepwash—not a word too much, such as all merchants want now and then? 1|Sheepwash—not a word too little, Sheepwash. know for a fact you spoke of it in your shop,|Come, Bates, no more nonsense, Bates-—stand and I can bring witnesses to prove it.”, up, Bates—meet your accusers, Bates—look “Come, Bates,” chimed in Mr. Whippersnap-|’em in the face, Bates—like a man, Bates—or per, who had recently opened a little haber-jit’s all dickey with you, Bates—I can tell you, dashery shop in the village, and who was a/| Bates.” busy, bustling, quick-speakir g man, very short, And indeed Mr. Whippersnapper seemed to very thin, very volatile and 2ver starting as ~~ have spoken the exact truth: for all eyes were CORMIE DOO S (C@)