The String of Pearls; or, The Barber of Fleet Street — page 228: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a oe oa, ape pon ere = oe se tee tel ERA OE TIA ALOIS ALSO, as seg te PaO cb ECA OID DOS EDN ALA LID SN ae ot 9002 : THE STRING OF PEARLS, er Sr a ee «Has he brought yours?” he said. ‘< What ?--- who ?” . ‘‘ Why the other two gallons for you and J ohanna. « Good gracious, Ben, you don’t mean that ? : « Don’t I, though. Oh, here he is. All’s right. Now, my lad, get the little pint jug, with the silver top to it, and if we don’t mull a drop, I’m a sinner. Now, owll see if Mrs. O. don’t come round quite handsome.’’ Ben, by the aid of some sugar, succeeded in making a very palatable drink, and just as the steam began to salute the nostrils of old Oakley and himself, the door of the parlour was opened, and who should heedlessly step into the room but the pious Mr. Lupin himself. Mr. Lupin was so transfixed by finding ' Ben there, that for a moment or two he could not gather strength to retreat; and during that brief period, Ben had shifted his chair, until he got quite behind the reverend gentleman, who, when he did step back, in consequence fell into Ben’s lap. ee What do yer mean 2” cried Ben, in a voice of thunder. “Oh, murder—murder! Have mercy upon me! I only looked in as I was passing, to ask how all the family was.” “Yes,” said Mr. Oakley, ‘‘and because you, no doubt, heard I was going to Tottenham, to Judge Merivale’s, to fit him with a pair of spectacles.” ‘’Oh, dear! Oh, dear!’ Let me go, sir.’ ‘*T don’t want you,” said Ben; “ but as you are here, let’s make an end of all differences, and have a pint together.” B. OA pint?” “ Yes, to be sure. By the look of your nose, I should say it knows pretty well what a pint is.”’ Oh, dear—man is sinful alway. I bearno malice, and if the truly right- minded and pious Mrs. Oakley was only here, we might drink down all differences, Mr. a—a a “ Benv” ‘*Mr. Ben. Thank you, sir ” ‘Oh, Mr. Lupin,” cried Mrs. Oakley, at this moment bursting into the parlour. “Is it possible that you can giye your mind in this way to the Philistines? Is not this backsliding ?” | : ‘Let us hope for the best, sister,” said Mr. Lupin, with an evangelical | twang. “ Let us hope for the best. If people will drink, they had much better drink with the saints, who may take some favourable opportunity of converting them, than with sinners,”’ ‘Sit down, mum,” said Ben, ‘ and let’s bury all animosities in the can Easy does it. Don’t you go, Johanna.” ‘¢ Yes, but, Ben, I ? ‘“Now don't.” Ben saw by the direction of Johanna’s eyes, that the Rev. gentleman was resting one of his red raw-looking hands upon her arm, and, situated as she was, she could not get out of his way but by rising. ‘¢ Sit still,’ said Ben. ‘* Easy does it.” Lifting up the can, then, he pretended to drink out of it, and then brought it with such a thundering crack upon Mr. Lupin’s head, that it quite staggered him. ‘Paws off,” said Ben. ‘“‘ Just attend to that ere gentle hint, old friend.” Mr. Lupin sat down with a groan. «Now, mum,” said Ben, who all the while had held fast the stone mug of | - mulled porter. ‘‘ Now, mum, here's some hot, that don’t suit me so well as the | cold, perhaps you and Mr, Lupin will take that, while I cuts a few more sandwiches.” He placed the jug before Mr. Lupin, who thereupon left off rubbing his head, and said— “I’m sure it would be highly unchristian of meto bear any malice, so, with x ; 7 J 1 ({ : Ay iH } ; : is - - } tt iit : ' ; 14 ' iF his ged # Hb a Hei) oh 4 ae ' ‘i ; 4 h 1 ele r ' Bt Ye Th | ae: ‘ : ] } Wan rey ' } a wit Dah wae bi ! Hf call } h oblay H . i! a ’ + : } ’ br j ne , Bote ’ ie elie ; ait , LE APAY | bea ‘ t i vie iP eee Bile Pt Ay i . A ' rah i beat he py ot oka ‘ H ae . : } a ti sid i fee) eh} ae a ee tie SA Ai} id aD | A ei ele | a Late SS ae t i ; ; wala } “aril! ‘hie HH} mh) iN j K CHER Ga * iy ia et OF iii a winy J Bi) ; im ie | a i } } } | ! BAB, yin! ; a LAL ae Ba Rg i ww i Ne ‘ 4 i ‘ 1 ee et uit A iit ae aan Ma ah e if 1 i vate | i! er fa | iy } tA vie ; j tne eB Pat Ie hy 5 t tieia Bh Bia) } ihe We ‘he i \ Ra i k se ; * i } he | La vale ot) nue, FI i raat ( | i j | } a ' ae ‘ ) } A | } Te Kia i Wei imate } Fi | 2) ae a f. ti * ae $Me at a re One er = paper iia a ae ee nal * -_ ry LS TT AT SET INE SMT 5 - Wy RE ae ase ee SS ee fn a Se comicbooks.com