aling to her daughter. 'But there's some of his old friends not so
patient as me. If I was to tell some that he knows, and has spotted and
cheated with, where to find him--'

'Will you hold your tongue, Misses Brown?' interrupted the miserable
Grinder, glancing quickly round, as though he expected to see his
master's teeth shining at his elbow. 'What do you take a pleasure in
ruining a cove for? At your time of life too! when you ought to be
thinking of a variety of things!'

'What a gallant horse!' said the old woman, patting the animal's neck.

'Let him alone, will you, Misses Brown?' cried Rob, pushing away her
hand. 'You're enough to drive a penitent cove mad!'

'Why, what hurt do I do him, child?' returned the old woman.

'Hurt?' said Rob. 'He's got a master that would find it out if he was
touched with a straw.' And he blew upon the place where the old woman's
hand had rested for a moment, and smoothed it gently with his finger, as
if he seriously believed what he said.

The old woman looking back to mumble and mouth at her daughter, who
followed, kept close to Rob's heels as he walked on with the bridle in
his hand; and pursued the conversation.

'A good place, Rob, eh?' said she. 'You're in luck, my child.'

'Oh don't talk about luck, Misses Brown,' returned the wretched Grinder,
facing round and stopping. 'If you'd never come, or if you'd go away,
then indeed a cove might be considered tolerable lucky. Can't you go
along, Misses Brown, and not foller me!' blubbered Rob, with sudden
defiance. 'If the young woman's a friend of yours, why don't she take
you away, instead of letting you make yourself so disgraceful!'

'What!' croaked the old woman, putting her face close to his, with a
malevolent grin upon it that puckered up the loose skin down in her very
throat. 'Do you deny your old chum! Have you lurked to my house fifty
times, and slept sound in a corner when you had no other bed but the
paving-stones, and do you talk to me like this! Have I bought and sold
with you, and helped you in my way of business, schoolboy, sneak, and
what not, and do you tell me to go along? Could I raise a crowd of old
company about you to-morrow morning, that would follow you to ruin like
copies of your own shadow, and do you turn on me with your bold looks!
I'll go. Come, Alice.'

'Stop, Misses Brown!' cried the distracted Grinder. 'What are you doing
of? Don't put yourself in a passion! Don't let her go, if you please.