"A fair fight without
interruptions, now, I WOULDN'T mind, if the gentleman's so
disposed."
Evidently the man was horribly afraid. Mr. Hoopdriver grew
truculent.
"Where you like," said Mr. Hoopdriver. "jest wherever you like."
"You insulted the gent," said the man in velveteen.
"Don't be a bloomin' funk, Charlie," said the man in gaiters.
"Why, you got a stone of him, if you got an ounce."
"What I say, is this," said the gentleman with the excessive
chins, trying to get a hearing by banging his chair arms. "If
Charlie goes saying things, he ought to back 'em up. That's what
I say. I don't mind his sayin' such things 't all, but he ought
to be prepared to back 'em up."
"I'll BACK 'em up all right," said Charlie, with extremely bitter
emphasis on 'back.' "If the gentleman likes to come Toosday
week--"
"Rot!" chopped in Hoopdriver. "Now."
"'Ear, 'ear," said the owner of the chins.
"Never put off till to-morrow, Charlie, what you can do to-day,"
said the man in the velveteen coat.
"You got to do it, Charlie," said the man in gaiters. "It's no
good."
"It's like this," said Charlie, appealing to everyone except
Hoopdriver. "Here's me, got to take in her ladyship's dinner
to-morrow night. How should I look with a black eye? And going
round with the carriage with a split lip?"
"If you don't want your face sp'iled, Charlie, why don't you keep
your mouth shut?" said the person in gaiters.
"Exactly," said Mr. Hoopdriver, driving it home with great
fierceness.
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