oppen'd it, an' after starin' at me for two or three minits, he said,
"Walk in, sur." Aw doff'd my hat an' did soa; an' he! what a smell!
"By gow, lad," aw said, "its enuff to mak my maath watter is this,
ther's nowt awm fonder on nor onions, an' aw con smell ther's some
cookin'--they'll be frying some liver, aw dar say. Are ta th'
maister's lad?" aw axed. "Noa, sur," he said; "a'wm th' waiter."
"Why tha needn't wait o' me," aw said, "aw'll luk after mysel."
"Come this way, sur." he said, "aw'll introduce yo'. What name shall
aw say, sur?" "Does ta think aw am not known?" aw says; "nah aw'll
tell thi what it is: if tha keeps diddlin after me like tha has done
sin' aw come in, as if tha thowt aw wanted to stail summat, awst just
twist thi neck raand." Th' maister heeard me tawkin, an' coom to
shake hands wi' me, smilin' all ovver his face delightedly. He hook'd
his arm i' mine, an' walked me into a grand raam full o' ladies an'
waiters (aw made 'em aat to be waiters coss they wor dressed like him
'at stood at th' door.) "This is my old friend, the Almenack maker,"
he said, an' they all gate up an' sat daan agean. When aw luk'd raand
aw thowt, "Aw'm in for it this time," for aw could mak it aat to be
nowt but a meetin' to kursen a lot o' childer', an' varry likely they
wanted me to stand godfayther for 'em. Aw saw noa babbies ony-where,
but then aw'd heeard fowk tell abaat th' quality havin' weet nurses
for ther bairns, an' aw made it aat 'at thease must be um, on accaant
o'th' way they wor dressed, for they wor all i' white, an' ther's nowt
easier weshed, an' aw thowt to mysen, "Aw'll tell my owd woman to have
her gaon made i' th' same pattern when shoo's ony more to suckle, for
it must save a deal o' trouble, an' be for ivver better nor havin' a
lot o' hooks an' eyes botherin' abaat th' child's face." But thear aw
sat, an' as noabody said owt to me, aw said nowt to noabody. In a bit
ivery body began pairin' off, an' th' maister says, "Come, my friend,
you must take a lady to dinner," an' a reight grand young woman coom