"You don't mean it?" said Mr. Potts, making his eyes as round as two sixpences. "Well, to be sure," said Salter, "I can't take my davy on it; 'cause as how I've only his word for it. But he don't look like a cony-catcher, do he? He's a deal too green for that, I can tell you. Well, he is green!" repeated Jim, bursting into a quiet chuckle. "I don't mean he's a fool, neither. There's a vasty heap o' difference betwixt a leek in yer eye and a turnip in yer brain-box. Ain't there now, guv'nor?" "You don't mean it?" said Mr. Potts, staring more than ever. "What don't I mean, Mr. Potts?" "You don't mean that that 'ere chap? What _do_ you mean about them hundred pounds?" "Now I'll tell 'ee, guv'nor. It's a great pleasure to me to find I can tell a story so well." "There you are--off again, no mortal man can tell to where. You ain't told me no story yet." "Ain't I? How came it then, guv'nor, that I ha' made you forget your usual 'ospitable manners? If I hadn't ha' been telling you a story, you'd ha'--I know you'd ha' asked me to put a name upon something long ago." Mr. Potts laughed, and saying, "I beg yer pardon, Mr. Salter, though I'm sure I don't remember ever meetin' of you afore, only that's no consequence; the best o' friends must meet some time for the first time," turned his face to the shelf as he had done before, and, after a little hesitation, seemed to conclude that it would be politic to take down the same bottle. Jim tossed off the half of his glassful, and, setting the rest on the counter, began his story. Whether he wished to represent himself as Thomas's confidant, or, having come to his conclusions to the best of his ability, believed himself justified in representing them as the facts of the case, it is not necessary to inquire; the account he gave of Thomas's position was this: That when Thomas went overboard after little Bessie, he had in the breast of his coat a pocket-book, with a hundred pounds of his master's in it; that he dared not go home without it; that the police were after him; and, in short, that he was in a terrible fix. Mr. Potts listened with a general stare, and made no reply. "You'll give him a bed to-night, won't you, guv'nor? I'll come back in the morning and see what can be done."