“I have noticed you go past our house, sir, several times in the course of the last week or so.”
“Our house,” repeated the other. “Meaning—?”
“Yes,” said Mr. Wegg, nodding, as the other pointed the clumsy forefinger of his right glove at the corner house.
“Oh! Now, what,” pursued the old fellow, in an inquisitive manner, carrying his knotted stick in his left arm as if it were a baby, “what do they allow you now?”
“It’s job work that I do for our house,” returned Silas, drily, and with reticence; “it’s not yet brought to an exact allowance.”
“Oh! It’s not yet brought to an exact allowance? No! It’s not yet brought to an exact allowance. Oh!—Morning, morning, morning!”
“Appears to be rather a cracked old cock,” thought Silas, qualifying his former good opinion, as the other ambled off. But, in a moment he was back again with the question:
“How did you get your wooden leg?”
Mr. Wegg replied, (tartly to this personal inquiry), “In an accident.”
“Do you like it?”
“Well! I haven’t got to keep it warm,” Mr. Wegg made answer, in a sort of desperation occasioned by the singularity of the question.
“He hasn’t,” repeated the other to his knotted stick, as he gave it a hug; “he hasn’t got—ha!—ha!—to keep it warm! Did you ever hear of the name of Boffin?”