It must not be supposed that John observed these several characteristics by other than very slow degrees, or that he took in more than half a one at a time, or that he even made up his mind upon that, without a great deal of very serious consideration.
'You can have, sir,' returned John with a readiness quite surprising, 'anything you please.'
The amazement and horror depicted in the unfortunate john's face-- for he had rather expected to be embraced next--were of that powerfully expressive nature that Mr Dorrit withdrew his hand and merely glared at him.
'I thought, sir,' said Young John, with as pale and shocked a face as ever had been turned to Mr Dorrit's in his life--even in his College life: 'I thought, sir, you mightn't object to have the goodness to accept a bundle--'
John did not find Meg's beauty diminished, though she beamed at him from behind the familiar coffee pot.
'I know that,' returned
John; 'but I have - I want - I've made a dreadful mess of it,' he broke out, and turned to the window.
"But they are men," said
John Harned; "and they prize-fight out of desire.
I can trust his word and I can trust his work; he is gentle and clever with the horses, and I would rather have them in charge with him than with half the young fellows I know of in laced hats and liveries; and whoever wants a character of James Howard," said
John, with a decided jerk of his head, "let them come to
John Manly."
So saying,
John Browdie--for he it was--opened the coach-door, and tapping Mrs Browdie, late Miss Price, on the cheek as he looked in, burst into a boisterous fit of laughter.
"Nay, Little
John," quoth Robin, "thou art a sound stout fellow, yet thou lackest the cunning that good Stutely hath, and I would not have harm befall thee for all Nottinghamshire.
Would you object to my pointing out, my dear, that Mr
John Rokesmith is not (so far as I am acquainted with him), strictly speaking, a Mendicant.'
'I wish you wouldn't call me Dot,
John. I don't like it,' said Mrs.