|
Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
||||
 |
||||
|
Support the Monkey! Tell All your Friends and Teachers |
||||
|
|
||||
606 as he once more held it open in his hand. The glance was but momentary, for Ralph, being disturbed, turned to demand the cause of the interruption. As Newman stated it, the cause himself swaggered into the room, and grasping Ralph’s horny hand with uncommon affection, vowed that he had never seen him looking so well in all his life. ‘There is quite a bloom upon your demd countenance,’ said Mr Mantalini, seating himself unbidden, and arranging his hair and whiskers. ‘You look quite juvenile and jolly, demmit!’ ‘We are alone,’ returned Ralph, tartly. ‘What do you want with me?’ ‘Good!’ cried Mr Mantalini, displaying his teeth. ‘What did I want! Yes. Ha, ha! Very good. What did I want. Ha, ha. Oh dem!’ ‘What do you want, man?’ demanded Ralph, sternly. ‘Demnition discount,’ returned Mr Mantalini, with a grin, and shaking his head waggishly. ‘Money is scarce,’ said Ralph. ‘Demd scarce, or I shouldn’t want it,’ interrupted Mr Mantalini. ‘The times are bad, and one scarcely knows whom to trust,’ continued Ralph. ‘I don’t want to do business just now, in fact I would rather not; but as you are a friend--how many bills have you there?’ ‘Two,’ returned Mr Mantalini. ‘What is the gross amount?’ ‘Demd trifling--five-and-seventy.’ ‘And the dates?’ ‘Two months, and four.’ ‘I’ll do them for you--mind, for you; I wouldn’t for many people--for five-and-twenty pounds,’ said Ralph, deliberately. |
