VICAR. Go on. ROBERT. That's what I come 'ere to talk abaht--my job. P'r'aps you'll think as it ain't a tasty subjic, before a lot o' nice, clean, respectable people as never 'ad anythin' worse on their fingers than a bit of lawn-dirt, playin' crokey; but _some one_ 'as to see to the drains, _some one_ 'as to clear up the muck of the world! I'm the one. An' I'm 'ere to tell you about it. AUNTIE [involuntarily]. Oh! . . . ROBERT. You don't like that, ma'am? 'Urts your feelin's, eh? AUNTIE. Yes; but not in the way you mean, MARY. But you know, you really are a little unpleasant! ROBERT. I'm not 'ere to be pleasant, young leddy: I'm 'ere to edicate you. VICAR. Yes, I think I see! AUNTIE [breathlessly]. Go on: go on! ROBERT. Well, I come to this 'ouse this mornin', I don't mind ownin' it, in a rotten bad frame of mind: I 'ad a little job on 'and--a job a bit above my 'ead, an' it got me dahn an' worried me: yus it did--worried me. That young leddy 'll tell you wot I was like when _she_ fust saw me: I looked that bad, she thought I come to steal summat! Well, p'r'aps I did, arter al!--summat as I 'ad no right to, summat as don't properly belong to a streaky swine like me. That was when _she_ fust saw me; but I was wuss before that, I tell you strite! MARY [self-consciously]. What changed you? ROBERT. A bloke I met, miss, as knowed me better than I knowed myself. 'E changed me. AUNTIE. ) Manson! . . . VICAR. ) Manson! . . . MARY. ) Oh, I thought, perhaps . . . ROBERT. Don't know 'is name; 'e was a fair knock-aht-- Got togs on 'im like an Earl's Court Exhibition . . . '_E_ changed me: 'e taught me my own mind; 'e brought me back to my own job--_drains_. AUNTIE. Yes . . . ROBERT. Funny thing, ma'am, peopled born different: some's born without noses in their 'eads, worth speakin' of. I wasn't--I can smell out a stink anywhere. AUNTIE [fascinated]. I am sure you can. This is most interesting! ROBERT [warming]. Moment I stuck my 'ead in this 'ouse, I knowed as summat was wrong in my line, and I ses to myself: _Wot oh, 'e ain't such an awl-mighty liar, arter all--that's drains_! An' drains it was, strike me dead--arskin' your pawdon! MARY, Now, didn't I always say . . . ROBERT. Yus, miss, you're one o' the nosey uns, I can see! Well, soon as ole Togs got done with 'is talk, I got my smeller dahn, follered up the scent, an' afore I knowed where I was, I was in it, up to my eyes!--Out there in the room with the blood-red 'eap o' books! Blimey, you never did see! Muck, ma'am!--Just look at my 'ands! Ain't that pretty? 'Owever, I got there, right enough, I don't fink! Fancy I put that little bit strite afore I done! AUNTIE. Oh, this is too beautiful of you! . . .