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'
'
Wy don't you?' said Sam, urging his question strenuously.
Ah,' said the cobbler, 'you don't quite understand these matters.
What do you suppose ruined me, now?'
'
Wy,' said Sam, trimming the rush-light, 'I s'pose the beginnin' wos,
that you got into debt, eh?'
'
'
Never owed a farden,' said the cobbler; 'try again.'
Well, perhaps,' said Sam, 'you bought houses, wich is delicate English
for goin' mad; or took to buildin', wich is a medical term for bein'
incurable.'
The cobbler shook his head and said, 'Try again.' 'You didn't go to law,
I hope?' said Sam suspiciously. 'Never in my life,' replied the cobbler.
'The fact is, I was ruined by having money left me.'
'Come, come,' said Sam, 'that von't do. I wish some rich enemy 'ud try
to vork my destruction in that 'ere vay. I'd let him.' 'Oh, I dare say you
don't believe it,' said the cobbler, quietly smoking his pipe. 'I wouldn't
if I was you; but it's true for all that.'
'
How wos it?' inquired Sam, half induced to believe the fact already, by
the look the cobbler gave him.
'
Just this,' replied the cobbler; 'an old gentleman that I worked for,
down in the country, and a humble relation of whose I married - she's
dead, God bless her, and thank Him for it! - was seized with a fit and
went off.'
'
Where?' inquired Sam, who was growing sleepy after the numerous
events of the day.
'
How should I know where he went?' said the cobbler, speaking
through his nose in an intense enjoyment of his pipe. 'He went off
dead.'
'
'
'
'
Oh, that indeed,' said Sam. 'Well?'
Well,' said the cobbler, 'he left five thousand pound behind him.'
And wery gen-teel in him so to do,' said Sam.
One of which,' continued the cobbler, 'he left to me, 'cause I married
his relation, you see.'
'
Wery good,' murmured Sam.
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