The Amateur Gentleman

Now as Barnabas stood thus, he heard another sigh, and glancing up

beheld Mr. Shrig seated at the little Cobbler's bench, with a

guttering candle at his elbow and a hat upon his fist, which he

appeared to be examining with lively interest.

"Sir," said he, as Barnabas approached, wondering, "I'm taking the

liberty o' looking at your castor."

"Oh!" said Barnabas.

"Sir, it's a werry good 'at as 'ats go, but it's no kind of an 'at

for you to-night."

"And why not, Mr. Shrig?"

"Because it ain't much pertection ag'in windictiveness--in the shape

of a bludgeon, shall ve say, and as for a brick--v'y, Lord! And

theer's an uncommon lot of windictiveness about to-night; it's

a-vaiting for you--as you might say--round the corner."

"Really, Mr. Shrig, I'm afraid I don't understand you."

"Sir, d' ye mind a cove o' the name o' 'Vistling Dick,' as got

'isself kicked to death by an 'orse?"

"Yes."

"And d' ye mind another cove commonly known as 'Dancing Jimmy,' and

another on 'em as is called 'Bunty Fagan'?"

"Yes, they tried to rob me once."

"Right, sir,--only I scared 'em off, you'll remember. Conseqvently,

p'r'aps you ain't forgot certain other coves as you and me had a bit

of a turn-up vith v'en I sez to you 'Run,' and you sez to me 'No,'

and got a lump on your sconce like an 'ard-biled egg according?"

"Yes, I remember of course, but why--"

"Sir, they 're all on 'em out on the windictive lay again to-night,

--only, this time, it's you they 're arter."

"Me--are you sure?"

"And sartin! Corporal Richard Roe, late Grenadiers, give me the

office, and Corporal Richard's never wrong, sir. Corporal Dick's

my pal as keeps the 'Gun' in Gray's Inn Lane, you may remember, and

the 'Gun' 's a famous chaffing-crib for the flash, leary coves. So,

v'en the Corp tipped me the vord, sir, I put my castor on my sconce,

slipped a barker in my cly, took my stick in my fib--or as you might

say 'daddle,' d' ye see, and toddled over to keep a ogle on you. And,

sir, if it hadn't been for the young gent as shadowed ye all the way

to Giles's Rents, it's my opinion as they'd ha' done you into a

corp as you come along."

"But why should they want to do for me?"

"V'y, sir, they'd do for their own mothers, j'yful, if you paid 'em

to!"

"But who would employ such a gang?"

"Vell, sir, naming no names, there's a party as I suspect from

conclusions as I've drawed, a party as I'm a-going to try to ketch

this here werry night, sir--as I mean to ketch in flay-grant

de-lick-too, vich is a law term meaning--in the werry act, sir, if

you'll help me?"