I have talked to men of your craft from North, East, and South,'

returned their host, in rather a hasty manner; 'but I never lighted on

any from the West before.'

It's our reg'lar summer circuit is the West, master,' said Short; 'that's

where it is. We takes the East of London in the spring and winter, and

the West of England in the summer time. Many's the hard day's

walking in rain and mud, and with never a penny earned, we've had

down in the West.'

'Let me fill your glass again.'

Much obleeged to you sir, I think I will,' said Mr Codlin, suddenly

thrusting in his own and turning Short's aside. 'I'm the sufferer, sir, in

all the travelling, and in all the staying at home. In town or country,

wet or dry, hot or cold, Tom Codlin suffers. But Tom Codlin isn't to

complain for all that. Oh, no! Short may complain, but if Codlin

grumbles by so much as a word - oh dear, down with him, down with

him directly. It isn't his place to grumble. That's quite out of the

question.'

Codlin an't without his usefulness,' observed Short with an arch look,

but he don't always keep his eyes open. He falls asleep sometimes,

you know. Remember them last races, Tommy.'

'Will you never leave off aggravating a man?' said Codlin. 'It's very like

I was asleep when five-and-tenpence was collected, in one round, isn't

it? I was attending to my business, and couldn't have my eyes in

twenty places at once, like a peacock, no more than you could. If I an't

a match for an old man and a young child, you an't neither, so don't

throw that out against me, for the cap fits your head quite as correct

as it fits mine.’

You may as well drop the subject, Tom,' said Short. 'It isn't particular

agreeable to the gentleman, I dare say.'

'Then you shouldn't have brought it up,' returned Mr Codlin; 'and I

ask the gentleman's pardon on your account, as a giddy chap that

likes to hear himself talk, and don't much care what he talks about,

so that he does talk.'

Their entertainer had sat perfectly quiet in the beginning of this

dispute, looking first at one man and then at the other, as if he were

lying in wait for an opportunity of putting some further question, or

reverting to that from which the discourse had strayed. But, from the

point where Mr Codlin was charged with sleepiness, he had shown an

increasing interest in the discussion: which now attained a very high

pitch.

The Old Curiosity Shop