“Your face ain’t cherubic,” observed the Bloater, looking down at his little friend. “If anythink, I should say it partakes of the diabolic; so you’ve got no occasion to make it wus than it is by twistin’ it about like that. Wotever do you do it for?”

 

Little Jim replied by a sound which can only be represented by the letters “sk,” pronounced in the summit of the nose.

 

“That ain’t no answer,” said the Bloater, with a knowing smile, the knowingness of which consisted chiefly in the corners of the mouth being turned down instead of up. This peculiarity, be it carefully observed, was natural to the Bloater, who scorned every species of affectation. Many of his young friends and admirers were wont to imitate this smile. If they could have seen the inconceivably idiotic expressions of their countenances when they tried it, they would never have made a second effort!

 

“Wot a jolly lark!” said Little Jim, prefacing the remark with another “sk.”

 

“Ha!” replied the Bloater, with a frown that implied the pressure of weighty matters on his mind.

 

After a few minutes’ silence, during which the cherubic face of Little Jim underwent various contortions, the Bloater said—

 

“If I ain’t mistaken, Jim, you and I are sound of wind and limb?”

 

Jim looked up in surprise, and nodded assent.

 

“Besides which,” continued the Bloater, “we’re rayther fleet than otherwise.”

 

Again Jim nodded and grinned.

 

“No Bobby as ever stuck ’is hignorant hinsolent ’ead into a ’elmet ever could catch us.”

 

“Sk!” ejaculated Jim, expanding from ear to ear.

 

“Well, then,” continued the Bloater, becoming more grave and confidential, “it’s my opinion, Jim, that you and I shall ’ave a run for it to-night. It’s quite plain that our hamiable friend who seems so fond o’ fire-raisin’ is goin’ to pay ’is respects to Number 5. ’Avin’ got it well alight it is just within the bounds o’ the possible—not to say prob’ble—that ’e’ll give ’em leg-bail—make tracks, as the Yankees say—cut and run for it. Well, in course it would never do to let ’im go off alone, or with only a ’eavy stoopid, conceited slow-coach of a Bobby at ’is tail.”

分享到：