d a great deal: in fact, he over-whistled.

At dinner-time he washed his face and hands and put on his coat to go
out.

But he had soon some reason to regret that he had not acted on Bayne's
advice to the letter. There had been a large trade's meeting overnight,
and the hostility to the London craftsman had spread more widely, in
consequence of remarks that had been there made. This emboldened the
lower class of workmen, who already disliked him out of pure envy, and
had often scowled at him in silence; and, now, as he passed them, they
spoke at him, in their peculiar language, which the great friend
and supporter of mechanics in general, The Hillsborough Liberal,
subsequently christened "THE DASH DIALECT."

"We want no ---- cockneys here, to steal our work."

"Did ever a ---- anvil-man handle his own blades in Hillsborough?"

"Not till this ---- knobstick came," said another.

Henry turned sharp round upon them haughtily, and such was the power of
his prompt defiant attitude, and his eye, which flashed black lightning,
that there was a slight movement of recoil among the actual speakers.
They recovered it immediately, strong in numbers; but in that same
moment Little also recovered his discretion, and he had the address to
step briskly toward the gate and call out the porter; he said to him in
rather a loud voice, for all to hear, "if anybody asks for Henry Little,
say he has gone to the Secretary of the Edge-Tool Forgers' Union." He
then went out of the works; but, as he went, he heard some respectable
workman say to the scum, "Come, shut up now. It is in better hands than
yours."

Mr. Jobson, the Secretary of the Edge-Tool Forgers, was not at home,
but his servant-girl advised Little to try the "Rising Sun;" and in the
parlor of that orb he found Mr. Jobson, in company with other magnates
of the same class, discussing a powerful leader of The Hillsborough
Liberal, in which was advocated the extension of the franchise,
a measure calculated to throw prodigious power into the hands of
Hillsborough operatives, because of their great number, and their habit
of living each workman in a tenement of his own, however small.

Little waited till The Liberal had received its meed of approbation,
and then asked respectfully if he might speak to Mr. Jobson on a trade
matter. "Certainly," said Mr. Jobson. "Who are you?"

"My name is Little. I make the carving-tools at Cheetham's."

"I'll go home with you; my house is har