第55章

Theothermadenoanswer，andturningawayImadeforthedoor；allofasuddenIstarted，andturninground，’Dearme，’saidI，’ithasjustcomeintomyhead，thatifthebookwaslostbymynegligence，asitmusthavebeen，Ihaveclearlyarighttomakeitgood。’

Noanswer。

’Yes，’Irepeated，’Ihaveclearlyarighttomakeitgood；howgladIam!seetheeffectofalittlereflection。IwillpurchaseaBibleinstantly，thatis，ifIhavenotlost-’andwithconsiderableagitationIfeltinmypocket。

Theprim-lookingmansmiled：’Isuppose，’saidhe，’thathehaslosthismoneyaswellasbook。’

’No，’saidI，’Ihavenot’；andpullingoutmyhandIdisplayednolessasumthanthreehalf-crowns。

’Oh，noblegoddessoftheMint!’asDameCharlottaNordenflycht，theSwede，saidahundredandfiftyyearsago，’greatisthypower；

howenergeticallythepossessionoftheespeaksinfavourofman’scharacter!’

’Onlyhalf-a-crownforthisBible？’saidI，puttingdownthemoney，’itisworththree’；andbowingtothemanofthenoblefeatures，I

departedwithmypurchase。

’Queercustomer，’saidtheprim-lookingman，asIwasabouttoclosethedoor-’don’tlikehim。’

’Why，astothat，Iscarcelyknowwhattosay，’saidheofthecountenanceofalion。

CHAPTERXLVI

Thepickpocket-Strangerencounter-Draghimalong-Agreatservice-Thingsofimportance-Philologicalmatters-Motheroflanguages-Zhats!

AFEWdaysaftertheoccurrenceofwhatisrecordedinthelastchapter，asIwaswanderingintheCity，chancedirectedmyfootstepstoanalleyleadingfromonenarrowstreettoanotherintheneighbourhoodofCheapside。JustbeforeIreachedthemouthofthealley，amaninagreatcoat，closelyfollowedbyanother，passedit；and，atthemomentinwhichtheywerepassing，I

observedthemanbehindsnatchsomethingfromthepocketoftheother；whereupon，dartingintothestreet，Iseizedthehindermostmanbythecollar，cryingatthesametimetotheother，’Mygoodfriend，thispersonhasjustpickedyourpocket。’

TheindividualwhomIaddressed，turningroundwithastart，glancedatme，andthenatthepersonwhomIheld。Londonistheplaceforstrangerencounters。ItappearedtomethatIrecognisedbothindividuals-themanwhosepockethadbeenpickedandtheother；thelatternowbegantostruggleviolently；’Ihavepickednoone’spocket，’saidhe。’Rascal，’saidtheother，’youhavegotmypocket-bookinyourbosom。’’No，Ihavenot，’saidtheother；

and，strugglingmoreviolentlythanbefore，thepocket-bookdroppedfromhisbosomupontheground。

Theotherwasnowabouttolayhandsuponthefellow，whowasstillstruggling。’Youhadbettertakeupyourbook，’saidI；’Icanholdhim。’Hefollowedmyadvice；and，takinguphispocket-book，surveyedmyprisonerwithaferociouslook，occasionallyglaringatme。Yes，Ihadseenhimbefore-itwasthestrangerwhomIhadobservedonLondonBridge，bythestalloftheoldapple-woman，withthecapandcloak；but，insteadofthese，henowworeahatandgreatcoat。’Well，’saidI，atlast，’whatamItodowiththisgentlemanofours？