After some cogitation, accompanied with an intent look at his patron, Mr. Cruncher conceived the luminous idea of replying, "Agicultooral character."
"My mind misgives me much," said Mr. Lorry, angrily shaking a forefinger at him, "that you have used the respectable and great house of Tellson's as a blind, and that you have had an unlawful occupation of an infamous description.
If you have, don't expect me to befriend you when you get back to England.
If you have, don't expect me to keep your secret.
Tellson's shall not be imposed upon."
"I hope, sir," pleaded the abashed Mr. Cruncher, "that a gentleman like yourself wot I've had the honour of odd jobbing till I'm grey at it, would think twice about harming of me, even if it wos so-I don't say it is, but even if it wos.
And which it is to be took into account that if it wos, it wouldn't, even then, be all o' one side.
There'd be two sides to it.
There might be medical doctors at the present hour, a picking up their guineas where a honest tradesman don't pick up his fardens-fardens! no, nor yet his half fardens-half fardens! no, nor yet his quarter-a banking away like smoke at Tellson's, and a cocking their medical eyes at that tradesman on the sly, a going in and going out to their own carriages-ah! equally like smoke, if not more so.
Well, that 'ud be imposing, too, on Tellson's.