"A hundred pounds." "A hundred pounds!" repeated Peter Parkins in a tone of deliberation, as if weighing "It's each sovereign comprising that amount. worth thought and trouble." "We should think so," replied Mike, drawing the breath between his teeth, "when sharing the swag." "Share and share alike, I suppose?" Mike nodded an assent. "Then leave the business in my hands," continued the razor-grinder. "I'll chew it very fine in my thoughts; and, when well digested, you shall decide whether it's a good, oily, plausible plan or not." We must be as dark as the grave about it," observed Mike, seriously, 66 or our milk will be spilt, and no mistake." "Never fear that," said Peter. no foot-mark where I tread." "There's ""Tis the early bird that get's the worm," returned Mike; " and I often think the first thought about a matter generally gets the best step. Have you, now, any idea," continued he, as to what you'll do ?" "I think," replied the razor-grinder, pressing a finger upon his brow, as if notching a reflection in his brain, "I think," repeated he, bending forwards, and lowering his voice to a whisper," that I'll be his father !” CHAPTER VII. "With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come, Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster ? Sleep when he wakes? and creep into the jaundice THE wild, roving, fickle breeze sighed his tale to the stream; for not a flower now offered its charms to his ruffling kiss; and he hummed through the leafless twigs, and flapped and rustled the holly and ivy, and whirled the sered and withered leaf from the oak, and rattled old ricketty doors and casements, and puffed, occasionally, the smoke back again into yawning chimneys, causing many a gossip to wheeze and cough, while spinning or knitting the goodman's winter hose by her cheerful hearth and homely fireside. Among other primitive "Goodies" and funny old "Trots" who were thus interrupted in their labours, Mrs. Sykes, the better half, in a figurative sense, of Job the huntsman, numbered most conspicuously. Quickly she was plying her needles-the pace being a very fair match with her tongue, occupied in giving forth sentiments and aphorisms for the benefit of mankind in general, and of Job in particular-when a volume of dense black smoke belched forth from the chimney; some portion of it forcing itself spitefully down the throat of the loquacious dame, and bringing her to an abrupt terminus in speech. Job, who was sitting in a snug corner, opposite to his wife, inhaling and exhaling the sweet narcotic fumes from his pipe, seemed in no way to entertain a feeling of sympathy for the threatened choking of Mrs. Sykes. On the contrary, he appeared pleased at the effect of the cessation of her tongue, and recked little of the cause. Settling himself more deeply in a highbacked, elbowed, and well-stuffed chair, Job threw his ruddy, jovial face upwards, and, wafting a cloud of fragrant vapour, curling from his lips, he mingled a fervent prayer with it, that Mrs. Sykes might continue to cough for the remainder of the evening. Now, it must be stated in justification of Job's apparent lack of humanity, that he had most cogent reasons for this petition. Mrs. Sykes was an excellent wife, as excellent a mother, and an exemplary woman in the majority of respects; but her failing-and to all of us some human errors fall-was the especial relish that she always derived from giving Job a touch of the quality of her tongue. At all times, and at all seasons, when the opportunity was at hand, Mrs. Sykes was ready to "go off" with a lecture concerning those things which her spouse ought to do, and those things more |