What has he been doing now?' said Dick.

By Jove, Sir,' returned Mr Chuckster, taking out an oblong snuff-box,

the lid whereof was ornamented with a fox's head curiously carved in

brass, 'that man is an unfathomable. Sir, that man has made friends

with our articled clerk. There's no harm in him, but he is so amazingly

slow and soft. Now, if he wanted a friend, why couldn't he have one

that knew a thing or two, and could do him some good by his

manners and conversation. I have my faults, sir,' said Mr Chuckster -

'No, no,' interposed Mr Swiveller.

Oh yes I have, I have my faults, no man knows his faults better than I

know mine. But,' said Mr Chuckster, 'I'm not meek. My worst enemies

every man has his enemies, Sir, and I have mine - never accused me

of being meek. And I tell you what, Sir, if I hadn't more of these

qualities that commonly endear man to man, than our articled clerk

has, I'd steal a Cheshire cheese, tie it round my neck, and drown

myself. I'd die degraded, as I had lived. I would upon my honour.'

Mr Chuckster paused, rapped the fox's head exactly on the nose with

the knuckle of the fore-finger, took a pinch of snuff, and looked

steadily at Mr Swiveller, as much as to say that if he thought he was

going to sneeze, he would find himself mistaken.

'Not contented, Sir,' said Mr Chuckster, 'with making friends with

Abel, he has cultivated the acquaintance of his father and mother.

Since he came home from that wild-goose chase, he has been there -

actually been there. He patronises young Snobby besides; you'll find,

Sir, that he'll be constantly coming backwards and forwards to this

place: yet I don't suppose that beyond the common forms of civility, he

has ever exchanged half-a-dozen words with me. Now, upon my soul,

you know,' said Mr Chuckster, shaking his head gravely, as men are

wont to do when they consider things are going a little too far, 'this is

altogether such a low-minded affair, that if I didn't feel for the

governor, and know that he could never get on without me, I should

be obliged to cut the connection. I should have no alternative.'

Mr Swiveller, who sat on another stool opposite to his friend, stirred

the fire in an excess of sympathy, but said nothing.

As to young Snob, sir,' pursued Mr Chuckster with a prophetic look,

you'll find he'll turn out bad. In our profession we know something of

human nature, and take my word for it, that the feller that came back

to work out that shilling, will show himself one of these days in his

true colours. He's a low thief, sir. He must be.'

The Old Curiosity Shop