Boys -- Fiction; London (England) -- Fiction; Slums -- Fiction
A watch is 'sent to church' when it is put into another case. But the
fence waved away the suggestion. 'Take id avay I tell you,' he said.
'I--'e von't 'ave nodden to do vid id.'
'Wot's the matter with the chain, then?' asked Josh. But the fence
walked away to the back of the shop, wagging his hands desperately, like
a wet man seeking a towel, and repeating only:--'Nodden to do vid
id--take id avay--nodden to do vid id.'
Josh stuffed his prize back into his pocket, and regained the street. He
was confounded. What was wrong with Cohen? Did he suspect a police trick
to entrap him? Josh snorted with indignation at the thought. He was no
nark! But perhaps the police were showing a pressing interest in Cohen's
business concerns just now, and he had suspended fencing for a while.
The guess was a lame one, but he could think of none better at the
moment, as he pushed his way to the Jago. He would try Mother Gapp.
Mother Gapp would not even take the watch in her hands; her eyes were
good enough at that distance. 'Lor', Josh Perrott,' she said, 'wot 'a'
ye bin up to now? Want to git me lagged now, do ye? Ain't satisfied with
breakin' up the 'ouse an' ruinin' a pore widder that way, ain't ye? You
git out, go on. I 'ad 'nough o' you!'
It was very extraordinary. Was there a general reclamation of fences?
But there were men at work at the Feathers, putting down boards and
restoring partitions; and two of them had been 'gone over' ruinously on
their way to work, and now they came and went with four policemen.
Possibly Mother Gapp feared the observation of carpenters. Be it as it
might, there was nothing for it now but Weech's.
Mr Weech was charmed. 'Dear me, it's a wonderful fine watch, Mr
Perrott--a wonderful fine watch. An' a beautiful chain.' But he was
looking narrowly at the big monogram as he said it. 'It's reely a
wonderful article. 'Ow they do git 'em up, to be sure! Cost a lot o'
money too, I'll be bound. Might you be thinkin' o' sellin' it?'
'Yus o' course,' replied Josh. 'That's wot I brought it for.'
'Ah, it's a lovely watch, Mr Perrott--a lov-erly watch; an' the chain
matches it. But you mustn't be too 'ard on me. Shall we say four pound
for the little lot?'
It was more than double Josh's wildest hopes, but he wanted all he could
get. 'Five,' he said doggedly.
Weech gazed at him with tender rebuke. 'Five pound's a awful lot o'
money, Mr Perrott,' he said. 'You're too 'ard on me, reely. I 'ardly
know 'ow I can scrape it up. But it's a beautiful little lot, an' I
won't 'aggle. But I ain't got all that money in the 'ouse now. I never
keep so much money in the 'ouse--sich a neighb'r'ood, Mr Perrott! Bring
it round to-morrer mornin' at eleven.'
'Awright, I'll come. Five quid, mind.'
'Ah yus,' answered Mr Weech, with a reproving smile. 'It's reely more
than I ought!'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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