e
unnat'ral, for he not only blow'd her up dreadful, and swore he'd never
see her again, but he employed a chap as I knows--and as you knows, Mr.
Valker, a precious sight too well--to go about and buy up the bills and
them things on which the young husband, thinking his governor 'ud come
round agin, had raised the vind just to blow himself on vith for a time;
besides vich, he made all the interest he could to set other people agin
him. Consequence vos, that he paid as long as he could; but things he
never expected to have to meet till he'd had time to turn himself round,
come fast upon him, and he vos nabbed. He vos brought here, as I said
afore, last Vensday, and I think there's about--ah, half-a-dozen
detainers agin him down-stairs now. I have been,' added Ikey, 'in the
purfession these fifteen year, and I never met vith such windictiveness
afore!'

'Poor creeturs!' exclaimed the coal-dealer's wife once more: again
resorting to the same excellent prescription for nipping a sigh in the
bud. 'Ah! when they've seen as much trouble as I and my old man here
have, they'll be as comfortable under it as we are.'

'The young lady's a pretty creature,' said Walker, 'only she's a little
too delicate for my taste--there ain't enough of her. As to the young
cove, he may be very respectable and what not, but he's too down in the
mouth for me--he ain't game.'

'Game!' exclaimed Ikey, who had been altering the position of a
green-handled knife and fork at least a dozen times, in order that he
might remain in the room under the pretext of having something to do.
'He's game enough ven there's anything to be fierce about; but who could
be game as you call it, Mr. Walker, with a pale young creetur like that,
hanging about him?--It's enough to drive any man's heart into his boots
to see 'em together--and no mistake at all about it. I never shall
forget her first comin' here; he wrote to her on the Thursday to come--I
know he did, 'cos I took the letter. Uncommon fidgety he was all day to
be sure, and in the evening he goes down into the office, and he says to
Jacobs, says he, "Sir, can I have the loan of a private room for a few
minutes this evening, without incurring any additional expense--just to
see my wife in?" says he. Jacobs looked as much as to say--"Strike me
bountiful if you ain't one of the modest sort!" but as the gen'lm'n who
had been in the back parlour had just gone out, and had paid for it for
that day, he says-