CHAP. xiv.J DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND. 449 



tell ye what to du. Here 's half-a-crown : du yow go 

 to the citty, and buy a nice hare, and git a bill for it, 

 and ha' the bill reseated ; be sure, bor, yow take care o' 

 that." Next da', up come the Police, kind o' smilin'. 

 " I 'a got a hare for ye," ses I. " How much is it, bor ? " 

 ses he. " Two shillins," ses I. " Tha 's tu much," ses 

 he. " Don't sin golderin about no sech nonsense," ses 

 I ; " there 's the hare, and I 'on't take no less. If you 

 don't like it, you may lump it." So off he go, right over 

 that there midder, with the hare in his pocket. 



In a da' or two, he come agin, with his hat cocked o' 

 one side, and sa', "Yow must go along o' me to the 

 Magistrate's Setten, about that there hare. Yow '11 

 hear futher about that." " Very well," ses I, "I ha'n't 

 no objections. Other folks can see jest as far into a 

 millstone as yow, with all your know." So when the 

 gen'lemin were a goin to hear my case, I pulled out the 

 bill riddy reseated, and pruvved that I 'd sold the hare 

 agin at a loss, all to oblige the nice-lookin Police. 

 And this was what I got by it ! I only wish, Sar, you 'd 

 'a seen how white the feller turned ; the duzzy fule ! 



C. Well, but of course he was punished for tempting 

 you to break the law. What did they do to him ? 



B.-C. Du, Sar? Change o' air, Sar, tha's all. He 'd 

 a right to foller his trade, same as I have to foller mine. 

 He 's now walking about arter other hares ten miles off. 

 Some folks said he owt to be discharged ; but they niver 

 do that; per'aps they dussen't. When rogues fall out, 

 Sar, you know the rest. The Governor up yinder sa' 

 the Rurals may du anything, except murder, and they '11 

 soon take out a licence for that. 



C. I hope they won't, though, till I get back to Wales 



G 6 



