of the projected line eel-pies will be brought home to the business
and bosoms of Ratcliff Highway and the adjacent dependencies.' Well,
when you men--lords of the creation, as you call yourselves--do get
together to make up a company, or anything of the sort--is there any
story-book can come up to you? And so you look solemnly in one
another's faces, and, never so much as moving the corners of your
mouths, pick one another's pockets. No, I'm not using hard words,
Mr. Caudle--but only the words that's proper.

"And this I MUST say. Whatever you've got, I'm none the better for
it. You never give me any of your Eel-Pie shares. What do you say?

"YOU WILL GIVE ME SOME?

"Not I--I'll have nothing to do with any wickedness of the kind. If,
like any other husband, you choose to throw a heap of money into my
lap--what?

"YOU'LL THINK OF IT? WHEN THE EEL-PIES GO UP?

"Then I know what they're worth--they'll never fetch a farthing."


"She was suddenly silent"--writes Caudle--"and I was sinking into
sleep, when she elbowed me, and cried, 'Caudle, do you think they'll
be up to-morrow?'"



LECTURE XXXIV--MRS. CAUDLE, SUSPECTING THAT MR. CAUDLE HAS MADE HIS