"What if I didn't?" I says. "There's no harm as I know." Well,
he kept on with his sort o' winks, and then he says, "Got any
_queer_ to put round?"'
At this point Jack lowered his voice to a whisper and looked
timorously towards the door.
'You know what he meant, Bob?'
Bob nodded and became reflective.
'Well, I didn't say nothing.' pursued Bartley, 'but the chap stuck
to me. "A fair price for a fair article," he says. "You'll always
find me there of a Thursday night, if you've got any business going.
Give me a look round," he says. "It ain't in my line," I says. So he
gave a grin like, and kep' on talking. "If you want a _four-half
shiner_," he says, "you know where to come. Reasonable with them as
is reasonable. Thursday night," he says, and then he slung his hook
round the corner.'
'What's a four-half shiner?' inquired Bob, looking from under his
eyebrows.
'Well, I didn't know myself, just then: but I've found out. It's a
public-house pewter--see?'
A flash of intelligence shot across Bob's face.
When Pennyloaf returned she found her husband with his box of moulds
and medals on the table. He was turning over its contents,
meditatively.
Pages:
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432