"
He puts up a lot and after recommending it with all his eloquence
pretends to knock it down--
"As there had been no bid at all, everybody looked about and
grinned at everybody, while I touched little Sophy's face (he was
holding her in his arms) and asked her if she felt faint or giddy.
'Not very, father; it will soon be over.' Then turning from the
pretty patient eyes, which were opened now, and seeing nothing but
grins across my lighted greasepot. I went on again in my cheap Jack
style. 'Where's the butcher?' (my mournful eye had just caught
sight of a fat young butcher on the outside of the crowd) 'She says
the good luck is the butcher's, where is he?' Everybody handed over
the blushing butcher to the front, and there was a roar, and the
butcher felt himself obliged to put his hand in his pocket and take
the lot. The party so picked out in general does feel obliged to
take the lot--good four times out of six. Then we had another lot
the counterpart of that one and sold it sixpence cheaper, which is
always very much enjoyed. Then we had the spectacles. It ain't a
special profitable lot, but I put 'em on, and I see what the
Chancellor of the Exchequer is going to take off the taxes, and I
see what the sweetheart of the young woman in the shawl is doing at
home, and I see what the Bishops has got for dinner, and a deal
more that seldom fails to fetch up their spirits, and the better
their spirits the better they bids.
Pages:
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275