…it! Jim was a burglar, mister, a real top-sawyer in his profession, and there wasn’t his equal in London. I knew it when I first met him, and he knew all about me that I was one of the cleverest filchers pocket -pickers in Whitechapel. Well, mister, we took to one another at first sight, and, after a few months courting, agreed that, if we were to marry and have a quiet time of it, we must give up our present line of business. Burglary is all very well for a single man, if he is ‘pinched’ no one misses him, but when it comes to seven years’ penal for a man with a wife and half a dozen children, it isn’t good enough. Jim and I were sensible enough to see that, mister, and we both came to the conclusion that, after one more haul, we…
Dream dictionary: six you give dream meanings
…‘ and you may bet your whiskers they are good, too!’ he added, smacking his lips.’ Better than they give you at home, eh? ‘”Yes, sir,” I replied. We can’t afford much in the way of meat, one joint has to last us a week; and as for the entrees well, we generally manage to do without them.”Just so!’ the gentleman smiled, ‘ and that is why I am going to give you a treat to-night. In spite of the fact that I’m a pretty well-to-do banker regular City man, don’t you know I’m in my heart of hearts a bit of a Socialist : don’t believe in class distinction and all that sort of thing, like to see the poor man enjoying himself as well as the rich. Why the deuce shouldn’t he? The same God made them both. I am just letting you know my…
…till the whiskey flowed. And all the while the alcohol poured from me, and I saw them gulp it down, my thirst and craving for it grew, and I besought and implored them to spare me a drop just one drop, one tiny drop. But they shook their heads, and murmured. ‘Serve you right! Ask Paul, and see what he says.’ And none of them pitied me, till my youngest niece, Dorothy, whom I had many a time in her childhood half scared to death by my tipsy antics, and who had lately joined the Salvation Army, came into the room, and, on seeing my mother-in-law slyly give my sore and bleeding nose a vicious twist, at once ran up to her and pulled her away, crying out, ‘ For shame! Poor uncle! See how you have hurt him!’ And as she fetched some cold spring water, and bathed…