r the sake o' Nancy; no, nor thee couldn't ha' dragged un out o'
me wi' horses."

"Yes?" said the Don, interrogatively.

"'Well,' says I, 'no, I don't partickler want it in.' I thought I'd say
that, don't thee zee (with a wink), 'cos he shouldn't think I were eager
like."

"Exactly,"

"Well, this 'ere gemman says, says he, 'It don't matter to me, sir,
whether it's in or not, but if thee don't want it in, I'll keep it out,
that's all. It will pay I better p'raps to put un in.'

"'And who med thee be, sir?' I axed.

"'Only the _Times_', said the gemman, 'that's all.' Then, turning to his
friend, he said, 'Come on, Jack, the gemman wants it in, so we'll have it
in, every word, and where he comes from too, and all about the gal; we
know all about it, don't us, Jack?'"

"Ha!" said the O'Rapley, blowing out a large cloud, and fixing his eye on
the middle stump.

"Well," continued Bumpkin, "thee could ha' knocked I down wi' a feather.
How the doose they knowed where I comed from I can't make out; but here
wur I as cloase to the man as writes the _Times_ as I be to thee."

The O'Rapley nodded his head knowingly several times.

"'Well, and how much do thee charge to keep un out?' seys I. 'Don't be
too hard upon me, I be only a poor man.'

"'We have only one charge,' says the _Times_, 'and that is half a
guinea.'

"'Spoase we say seven and six,' sess I.

"'That,' seys the _Times_, 'wouldn't keep your name out, and I suppose
you don't want that in?' 'Very well,' I sess, takin' out my leather bag
and handin' him the money; 'this'll keep un out, wool ur?'

"'Sartainly,' says he; and then his friend Jack says, 'My fee be five
shillings, sir.' 'And who be thee?' says I. 'I'm the _Telegrarf_,' seys
he. 'The devil thee be?' I sess, 'I've eerd tell on ee.' 'Largest
calculation in the world,' he says; 'and, if thee like,' he says, 'I can
take the _Daily Noos_ and _Stanard_ money, for I don't see 'em here jist
now; it'll be five shillings apiece.'

"'Well,' I sess, 'this be rum business, this; if I takes a quantity like
this, can't it be done a little cheaper?'

"'No,' he says; 'we stands too high for anything o' that sort. Thee can
'ave it or leave it.'

"'Very well,' I sess; 'then, if there's no option, there's the money.'
And with that I handed un the fifteen shillings.

"'Then,' says the _Times_, 'we'd better look sharp, Jack, or else we
shan't be in time to keep it out.' And wi' that they hurried off