_Bill_. Black your boots for a party, sir? _Wat_. (_aside_) The very rascal I saw her speaking to! But wasn't she a brick not to split! That's what I call devotion now! There _are_ some of them capable of it. I'll set her up for life. I'd give a cool thousand it hadn't happened, though. I saw her father too hanging about Gervaise's yesterday. _Bill_. Clean your boots, sir? Shine 'em till they grin like a Cheshire cat eatin' cheese! _Wat_. Shine away, you beggar. _Bill_ (_turning up his trousers_). I ain't no beggar, sir. Shine for a shiner's fair play. _Wat_. Do you live in this neighbourhood? _Bill_. No, sir. _Wat_. Where, then? _Bill_ (_feeling where a pocket should be_). I don't appear to 'ave a card about me, sir, but my address is Lamb's Court, Camomile Street--leastways I do my sleepin' not far off of it. I've lived there, what livin' I _have_ done, sin' ever I wor anywheres as I knows on. _Wat_. Do you happen to know a girl of the name of Pearson? _Bill_. No, sir. I can't say as how I rec'lect the name. Is she a old girl or a young un? _Wat_. You young liar! I saw you talking to her not two hours ago! _Bill_. Did ye now, sir? That's odd, ain't it? Bless you! I talks to everybody. I ain't proud, sir. _Wat_. Well, do you see this? (_holding up a sovereign_). _Bill_. That's one o' them tilings what don't require much seein', sir. There! Bright as a butterfly! T'other twin, sir! _Wat_. I'll give you this, if you'll do something for me--and another to that when the thing's done. _Bill_. 'Tain't stealin', sir? _Wat_. No. _Bill_. Cos, you see, Mattie-- _Wat_. Who did you say? _Bill_. Old Madge as lets the beds at tuppence a short night. 'Tain't stealin', you say, sir? _Wat_. What do you take me for? I want you to find out for me where the girl Pearson lives--that's all. _Bill_ (_snatching the sovereign and putting it in his mouth_). Now then, sir!--What's the young woman like? _Wat_. Rather tall--thin--dark hair--large dark eyes--and long white hands. Her name's Matilda--Mattie Pearson--the girl you were talking to, I tell you, on this very spot an hour or two ago. _Bill_ (_dropping the sovereign, and stooping to find it_). Golly! it _is_ our Mattie! _Wat_. Shall you know her again? _Bill_. Any boy as wasn't a hass would know his own grandmother by them spots. Besides, I remember sich a gal addressin' of me this mornin'. If you say her it was, I'll detect her for ye. _Wat_. There's a good boy! What's your name? _Bill_. Timothy, sir. _Wat_. What else? _Bill_. Never had no other--leastways as I knows on. _Wat_. Well, Timothy--there's the other sov.--and it's yours the moment you take me to her. Look at it. _Bill_. My eye!--Is she a square Moll, sir? _Wat_. What do you mean by that? _Bill_. Green you are, to be sure!--She ain't one as steals, or-- _Wat_. Not she. She's a sempstress--a needlewoman, or something of the sort. _Bill_. And where shall I find _you_, sir?