said, 'You have really done me a great service, and I should
be ungrateful not to acknowledge it. I am a merchant; and a merchant's
pocket-book, as you perhaps know, contains many things of importance;
but, young man,' he exclaimed, 'I think I have seen you before; I thought
so at first, but where I cannot exactly say: where was it?' I mentioned
London Bridge and the old apple-woman. 'Oh,' said he, and smiled, and
there was something peculiar in his smile, 'I remember now. Do you
frequently sit on London Bridge?' 'Occasionally,' said I: 'that old
woman is an old friend of mine.' 'Friend?' said the stranger, 'I am glad
of it, for I shall know where to find you. At present I am going to
'Change; time, you know, is precious to a merchant.' We were by this
time close to Cheapside. 'Farewell,' said he, 'I shall not forget this
service. I trust we shall soon meet again.' He then shook me by the
hand and went his way.

The next day, as I was seated beside the old woman in the booth, the
stranger again made his appearance, and, after a word or two, sat down
beside me; the old woman was sometimes reading the Bible, which she had
already had two or three days in her possession, and sometimes
discoursing with me. Our discourse rolled chiefly on philological
matters.

'What do you call bread in your language?' said I.

'You mean the language of those who bring me things to buy, or who did;
for, as I told you before, I shan't buy any more; it's no language of
mine, dear--they call bread pannam in their language.'

'Pannam!' said I, 'pannam! evidently connected with, if not derived from,
the Latin panis; even as the word tanner, which signifieth a sixpence, is
connected with, if not derived from, the Latin tener, which is itself
connected with, if not derived from, tawno or tawner, which, in the
language of Mr. Petulengro, signifieth a sucking child. Let me see, what
is the term for bread in the language of Mr. Petulengro? Morro, or
manro, as I have sometimes heard it called; is there not some connection
between these words and panis? Yes, I think there is; and I should not
wonder if morro, manro, and panis were connected, perhaps derived from,
the same root; but what is that root? I don't know--I wish I did;
though, perhaps, I should not be the happier. Morro--manro! I rather
think morro is the oldest form; it is easier to say morro than manro.
Morro! Irish, aran; Welsh, bara; English, bread. I can see a
res