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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
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380 she had had it on), pushed his hat on one side and scratched his head with perfect unconcern, while his friend Mr Tix, taking that opportunity for a general survey of the apartment preparatory to entering on business, stood with his inventory-book under his arm and his hat in his hand, mentally occupied in putting a price upon every object within his range of vision. Such was the posture of affairs when Mr Mantalini hurried in; and as that distinguished specimen had had a pretty extensive intercourse with Mr Scaley’s fraternity in his bachelor days, and was, besides, very far from being taken by surprise on the present agitating occasion, he merely shrugged his shoulders, thrust his hands down to the bottom of his pockets, elevated his eyebrows, whistled a bar or two, swore an oath or two, and, sitting astride upon a chair, put the best face upon the matter with great composure and decency. ‘What’s the demd total?’ was the first question he asked. ‘Fifteen hundred and twenty-seven pound, four and ninepence ha’penny,’ replied Mr Scaley, without moving a limb. ‘The halfpenny be demd,’ said Mr Mantalini, impatiently. ‘By all means if you vish it,’ retorted Mr Scaley; ‘and the ninepence.’ ‘It don’t matter to us if the fifteen hundred and twenty-seven pound went along with it, that I know on,’ observed Mr Tix. ‘Not a button,’ said Scaley. ‘Well,’ said the same gentleman, after a pause, ‘wot’s to be done--anything? Is it only a small crack, or a out-and-out smash? A break-up of the constitootion is it?--werry good. Then Mr Tom Tix, esk-vire, you must inform your angel wife and lovely family as you won’t sleep at home for three nights to come, along of being in |
