Chuckster remarked that he wished that he might be blessed if he

could make out whether he (Kit) was 'precious raw' or 'precious deep,'

but intimated by a distrustful shake of the head, that he inclined to

the latter opinion.

Kit entered the office in a great tremor, for he was not used to going

among strange ladies and gentlemen, and the tin boxes and bundles

of dusty papers had in his eyes an awful and venerable air. Mr

Witherden too was a bustling gentleman who talked loud and fast,

and all eyes were upon him, and he was very shabby.

Well, boy,' said Mr Witherden, 'you came to work out that shilling; -

not to get another, hey?'

No indeed, sir,' replied Kit, taking courage to look up. 'I never thought

of such a thing.'

Father alive?' said the Notary.

Dead, sir.'

Mother?'

Yes, sir.'

Married again - eh?'

Kit made answer, not without some indignation, that she was a widow

with three children, and that as to her marrying again, if the

gentleman knew her he wouldn't think of such a thing. At this reply

Mr Witherden buried his nose in the flowers again, and whispered

behind the nosegay to the old gentleman that he believed the lad was

as honest a lad as need be.

Now,' said Mr Garland when they had made some further inquiries of

him, 'I am not going to give you anything - '

Thank you, sir,' Kit replied; and quite seriously too, for this

announcement seemed to free him from the suspicion which the

Notary had hinted.

- But,' resumed the old gentleman, 'perhaps I may want to know

something more about you, so tell me where you live, and I'll put it

down in my pocket-book.'

Kit told him, and the old gentleman wrote down the address with his

pencil. He had scarcely done so, when there was a great uproar in the

street, and the old lady hurrying to the window cried that Whisker had

The Old Curiosity Shop