On the other hand,
supposing he had come to Crikswich for assistance in money? Friendship is
a good thing, and so is hospitality, which is an essentially English
thing, and consequently one that it behoves an Englishman to think it his
duty to perform, but we do not extend it to paupers. But should a pauper
get so close to us as to lay hold of us, vowing he was once our friend,
how shake him loose? Tinman foresaw that it might be a matter of five
pounds thrown to the dogs, perhaps ten, counting the glass. He put on his
hat, full of melancholy presentiments; and it was exactly half-past five
o'clock of the spring afternoon when he knocked at Crickledon's door.
Had he looked into Crickledon's shop as he went by, he would have
perceived Van Diemen Smith astride a piece of timber, smoking a pipe. Van
Diemen saw Tinman. His eyes cocked and watered. It is a disgraceful fact
to record of him without periphrasis. In truth, the bearded fellow was
almost a woman at heart, and had come from the Antipodes throbbing to
slap Martin Tinman on the back, squeeze his hand, run over England with
him, treat him, and talk of old times in the presence of a trotting
regiment of champagne.
Pages:
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438