 so low that not a sound was heard, Mr. Lorry looked at Jerry in
considerable doubt and mistrust. That honest tradesman's manner of receiving the
look, did not inspire confidence; he changed the leg on which he rested, as
often as if he had fifty of those limbs, and were trying them all; he examined
his finger-nails with a very questionable closeness of attention; and whenever
Mr. Lorry's eye caught his, he was taken with that peculiar kind of short cough
requiring the hollow of a hand before it, which is seldom, if ever, known to be
an infirmity attendant on perfect openness of character.
    »Jerry,« said Mr. Lorry. »Come here.«
    Mr. Cruncher came forward sideways, with one of his shoulders in advance of
him.
    »What have you been, besides a messenger?«
    After some cogitation, accompanied with an intent look at his patron, Mr.
Cruncher conceived the luminous idea of replying, »Agricultooral character.«
    »My mind misgives me much,« said Mr. Lorry, angrily shaking a forefinger at
him, »that you have used the respectable and great house of Tellson's as a
blind, and that you have had an unlawful occupation of an infamous description.
If you have, don't expect me to befriend you when you get back to England. If
you have, don't expect me to keep your secret. Tellson's shall not be imposed
upon.«
    »I hope, sir,« pleaded the abashed Mr. Cruncher, »that a gentleman like
yourself wot I've had the honour of odd jobbing till I'm grey at it, would think
twice about harming of me, even if it wos so - I don't say it is, but even if it
wos. And which it is to be took into account that if it wos, it wouldn't, even
then, be all o' one side. There'd be two sides to it. There might be medical
doctors at the present hour, a picking up their guineas where a honest tradesman
don't pick up his fardens - fardens! no, nor yet his half fardens - half
fardens! no, nor yet his quarter - a banking away like smoke at Tellson's, and a
cocking their medical eyes at that tradesman on the sly, a going in and going
out to their own carriages - ah! equally like smoke, if not more so. Well, that
'ud be imposing, too, on Tellson's
