"somebody." 105 



" Have ye, though 1 " rejoined " Somebody," striding forward, 

 and, pulling the unoccupied chair backwards between his legs, 

 dropped upon the seat, and, stretching his feet out, with the 

 heels resting upon the floor, seemed to settle liimself in a posi- 

 tion of great ease, if not of elegance. 



" Well ? " exclaimed Job Sweety, now turning round and 

 facing his companion. 



"Well?" repeated '"'Somebody," in a tone and manner 

 clearly intended as an imitation of the original. 



"You're a pretty kind of image, you are !" ejaculated Job 

 Sweety, measuring " Somebody " with a slow look which, com- 

 mencing with the "ancle jacks," terminated at the cerebrum. 



" You're another ! " complimentarily rejoined " Somebody." 



" Come, cut this short," returned Job, with increasing ill- 

 humour. " If you've got anything to say, say it, and don't let's 

 have any more of this" — an adjective — "nonsense." 



" If I've got anj^thing to say," returned " Somebody," " I'm 

 to say it, am I ? Them's my orders, are they 1 Ho, indeed ! 

 Well, then, having a-something to say, here goes. Shall I shut 

 the door first 1 " 



Job Sweety nodded assent. 



" Somebody " rose, and, after closing the door, occupied his 

 seat in his former position, and thus began : — 



" If ever there was one more ungrateful warmint on 

 this bless-ed earth greater than another, you're that warmint. 

 I'm a rogue. I was bred, born, and shall die a rogue ; but for 

 an out-an'-out thief, I don't know your equal, Job, and can't 

 hope to live long enough to make his acquaintance." 



" Cut it short ! " growled Job Sweety. 



" Cut it short, eh 1 " returned " Somebody." " Then short it 

 is. Well then, as I was going to say, for an out-an'-out " 



"You said that," interrupted Job Sweety. 



" Did I ? Ha, so I did," responded " Somebody," vigorously 

 scratching the back of his head. " Well then, after what I've 

 been and gone and done for you, Job, to treat a cove no better 



