Page 729 of 896

"I hope, sir," pleaded the abashed Mr. Cruncher, "that a

gentleman like yourself wot I've had the honour of odd jobbing

till I'm grey at it, would think twice about harming of me, even

if it wos so--I don't say it is, but even if it wos. And which it

is to be took into account that if it wos, it wouldn't, even

then, be all o' one side. There'd be two sides to it. There might

be medical doctors at the present hour, a picking up their

guineas where a honest tradesman don't pick up his

fardens--fardens! no, nor yet his half fardens--half fardens! no,

nor yet his quarter--a banking away like smoke at Tellson's, and

a cocking their medical eyes at that tradesman on the sly, a

going in and going out to their own carriages--ah! equally like

smoke, if not more so. Well, that 'ud be imposing, too, on

Tellson's. For you cannot sarse the goose and not the gander. And

here's Mrs.