'How does he stand on your books?' asked Barnes.

Kilne shouldered round, crying: 'Who the deuce is to know?'

'I don't,' Grossby sighed. 'In he comes with his "Good morning, Grossby,
fine day for the hunt, Grossby," and a ten-pound note. "Have the
kindness to put that down in my favour, Grossby." And just as I am going
to say, "Look here,--this won't do," he has me by the collar, and there's
one of the regiments going to give a supper party, which he's to order;
or the Admiral's wife wants the receipt for that pie; or in comes my
wife, and there's no talking of business then, though she may have been
bothering about his account all the night beforehand. Something or
other! and so we run on.'

'What I want to know,' said Barnes, the butcher, 'is where he got his
tenners from?'

Kilne shook a sagacious head: 'No knowing!'

'I suppose we shall get something out of the fire?' Barnes suggested.

'That depends!' answered the emphatic Kilne.

'But, you know, if the widow carries on the business,' said Grossby,
'there's no reason why we shouldn't get it all, eh?'

'There ain't two that can make clothes for nothing, and make a profit out
of it,' said Kilne.

'That young chap in Portugal,' added Barnes, 'he won't take to tailoring