THE DEALER IN LAP-DOGS. 83 



interview between himself and Job Sweety, and, in conclusion, 

 placed the three horse-beans, with great precision, in a row 

 upon the snow-white breakfast- cloth, and offered the hundred 

 pound Bank of England note to Mr. James Sloper. 



" Iso, no," said his employer; "keep that. You may find 

 it useful." 



"But I shan't do the job it was given me for," expostulated 

 Puffy Doddles. 



" A bean is a bean," replied Mr. James Sloper. " You 

 agreed to give your hoss three beans. Very good. Then give 

 him those,''' 1 and as he spoke he produced three beans from a 

 sample which he carried apparently in a deep waistcoat-pocket, 

 " instead of these,'' 1 pointing, at the same time, to the shells dis- 

 guising the drug intended for making Sunshine safe. " You 

 can't have any objection to do that, Doddles, for a hundred 

 pound Bank of England note 1 " 



" Oh, no, sir," responded Robert Top's best lad, " not at all." 



" Then put that note into the exchequer," rejoined his 

 employer, nipping the note playfully, with the end of his finger 

 and thumb, towards Puffy Doddles. " Then put that into the 

 exchequer," repeated he. 



Thinking, at that moment, of the necessary expenditure for 

 the contemplated cottage near a wood, and the bower of scarlet- 

 beans, Puffy Doddles readily conformed to the instructions for 

 putting the hundred pound Bank of England note into the 

 exchequer, by pocketing it. 



" Job Sweety will find himself again dropped in the hole," 

 observed Mr. James Sloper, with a chuckle. " He has no one 

 to thank this time but himself. It wouldn't surprise me to 

 hear of his taking to dealing in lap-dogs again." 



" Did he ever deal in lap-dorgs, sir ? " asked Robert Top's 

 best lad. 



" That was Job Sweety's first business in life," replied Mr. 

 James Sloper, smiling ; " a dog-dealer, and, perhaps, we might 



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