HUNTS WITH JOKROCKS 



out of it, but Benjamin mastered its contents; 

 and Mrs. Jorrocks was constantly losing things 

 out of the store-room and closets, which never 

 could be traced to anybody. 



One unlucky Sunday morning, indeed, Mr. 

 Jorrocks happened to turn back suddenly on his 

 way to church, and caught him sitting in his easy- 

 chair at the breakfast-table, reading Bells Life in 

 London, and scooping the marmalade out of the 

 pot with his thumb, when he visited Benjamin's 

 back with a summary horse-whipping; but that 

 was the only time, during a period of three years, 

 that he ever was caught in a scrape he could not 

 get out of. This might be partly attributable to 

 Betsey finding it convenient to be in with Benja- 

 min, who winked at the visits of a genteel young 

 man from a neighbouring haberdasher's. The poor 

 maid under Betsey, and the light-porter, who was 

 generally absent, were therefore the usual scape- 

 goats, or somebody else's servant, who had 

 happened to come with a message or parcel. 

 Such was Mr. Jorrocks's domestic establishment, 



14 



