Never were my ears so stunned. The angry authors in the adventures of Gil
Blas, were nothing to the disputants in the kennel at Charing Cross; we
rowed, swore, slanged with a Christian meekness and forbearance, which
would have rejoiced Mr. Wilberforce to the heart, and we were already
preparing ourselves for a more striking engagement, when we were most
unwelcomely interrupted by the presence of three watchmen.

"Take away this--this--d--d woman," hiccuped out Staunton, "She has sto--
len--(hiccup)--my watch"--(hiccup.)

"No such thing, watchman," hallooed out the accused, "the b--counter-
skipper never had any watch! he only filched a twopenny-halfpenny gilt
chain out of his master, Levi, the pawnbroker's window, and stuck it in
his eel-skin to make a show: ye did, ye pitiful, lanky-chopped son of a
dog-fish, ye did."

"Come, come," said the watchman, "move on, move on."

"You be d--d, for a Charley!" said one of our gang.

"Ho! ho! master jackanapes, I shall give you a cooling in the watch-
house, if you tips us any of your jaw. I dare say the young oman here, is
quite right about ye, and ye never had any watch at all, at all."

"You are a d--d liar," cried Staunton; "and you are all in with each
other, like a pack of rogues as you are."

"I'll tell ye what, young gemman," said another watchman, who was a more
potent, grave, and reverend senior than his comrades, "if you do not move
on instantly, and let those decent young omen alone, I'll take you all up