But Mr. Weevil was bent upon his silly, obstinate bullying of Lobbie. He kept trying to inveigle Wolf in this unamiable game.

“Lob thinks we’re all as simple as his Mummy in Chequers Street!” continued the youth, with an unpleasant leer.

“Don’t ’ee listen to him!” cried Lob. “Everyone knows what his Mummy were, afore old man Weevil paid Lawyer Pipe to write ‘Whereas’ in his girt book!”

“Listen, you two⁠—” expostulated Wolf. “I want to ask you both a question.”

“He’ll answer ’ee, same as my dad answered Mr. Manley when ’a cussed about his mother’s gravestone. ‘Bless us!’ said my dad, ‘and do ’ee take I for King Pharaoh?’ ”