第98章

buttheonethatIhatemostistheChurchofEngland；sowhenI

gettoNewYork，afterIhaveshownthefinefellowsonthequayaspiceofme，by……theKing，I’lltossupmyhatagain，and……theChurchofEnglandtoo。’

’AndsupposethepeopleofNewYorkshouldclapyouinthestocks？’

saidI。

Thesewordsdrewuponmetheattentionofthewholefour。TheRadicalandhiscompanionstaredatmeferociously；themaninblackgavemeapeculiarglancefromunderhisslouchedhat；thesimple-lookingmaninthelabouringdresslaughed。

’Whatareyoulaughingat，youfool？’saidtheRadical，turningandlookingattheother，whoappearedtobeafraidofhim；’holdyournoise；andaprettyfellow，you，’saidhe，lookingatme，’tocomehere，andspeakagainstthegreatAmericannation。’

’IspeakagainstthegreatAmericannation!’saidI；’Iratherpaidthemacompliment。’

’Bysupposingtheywouldputmeinthestocks。Well，Icallitabusingthem，tosupposetheywoulddoanysuchthing-stocks，indeed!-therearenostocksinalltheland。Putmeinthestocks!why，thePresidentwillcomedowntothequay，andaskmetodinner，assoonashehearswhatIhavesaidabouttheKingandChurch。’

’Ishouldn’twonder，’saidI，’ifyougotoAmericayouwillsayofthePresidentandcountrywhatnowyousayoftheKingandChurch，andcryoutforsomebodytosendyoubacktoEngland。’

TheRadicaldashedhispipetopiecesagainstthetable。’Itellyouwhat，youngfellow，youareaspyofthearistocracy，sentheretokickupadisturbance。’

’Kickingupadisturbance，’saidI，’isratherinconsistentwiththeofficeofspy。IfIwereaspy，Ishouldholdmyheaddown，andsaynothing。’

Themaninblackpartiallyraisedhishead，andgavemeanotherpeculiarglance。

’Well，ifyouaren’tsenttospy，youaresenttobully，topreventpeoplespeaking，andtorundownthegreatAmericannation；butyoushan’tbullyme。Isay，downwiththearistocracy，thebeggarlyBritisharistocracy。Come，whathaveyoutosaytothat？’

’Nothing，’saidI。

’Nothing!’repeatedtheRadical。

’No，’saidI，’downwiththemassoonasyoucan。’

’AssoonasIcan!IwishIcould。ButIcandownwithabullyoftheirs。Come，willyoufightforthem？’

’No，’saidI。

’Youwon’t？

’No，’saidI；’though，fromwhatIhaveseenofthem，Ishouldsaytheyaretolerablyabletofightforthemselves。’

’Youwon’tfightforthem，’saidtheRadicaltriumphantly；’I

thoughtso；allbullies，especiallythoseofthearistocracy，arecowards。Here，landlord，’saidhe，raisinghisvoice，andstrikingagainstthetablewiththejug，’somemoreale-hewon’tfightforhisfriends。’

’Awhitefeather，’saidhiscompanion。

’He!he!’titteredthemaninblack。

’Landlord，landlord，’shoutedtheRadical，strikingthetablewiththejuglouderthanbefore。’Whocalled？’saidthelandlord，cominginatlast。’Fillthisjugagain，’saidtheother，’andbequickaboutit。’’Doesanyoneelsewantanything