Life in the Red Brigade

Excerpt: ...was bought for him by my Joe, in an old curiosity shop," said Mary. "Ha!" replied Sparks. "Well, Missis Dashwood, I'll have to be goin', though I haven't got no business to attend to-still, a man must keep movin' about, you know, specially w'en he's had no breakfast, an' han't got nothin' to buy one." "That's a sad condition," said Mary, pursing her lips, for she knew the man. "It is, missis. You couldn't lend me half-a-crown, could you?" "No, I couldn't," replied the little woman with decision, while her cheeks reddened; "moreover, I wouldn't if I could. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mr Sparks; it's a disgrace for a man of your strength and years to be goin' about borrowing as you're in the habit of doin'; and you have got the impudence, too, to be running after poor Martha Reading, but you shall never get her if I can prevent it." Mr Sparks was much nettled by the first part of Mrs Dashwood's speech. The last part put him in a towering passion. He started up, but had the wisdom to restrain himself to some extent. "Perhaps," he said, between his teeth, "you can't prevent it, missis." "Perhaps not, but I shall try." At that moment, Master Fred Crashington chanced to stumble in his energetic attempts to extinguish the fire in the cupboard, which the Rosebud assured him, in excited tones, was "not out yit; gittin' wus an' wus!" In falling, the old-fashioned helmet flew off, and the comb of it hit Mr Sparks a severe blow on the shin-bone. In the heat of the moment he dealt Fred a violent slap on the cheek, which sent him tumbling and howling on the floor. At that moment the door opened and Joe Dashwood entered. He had heard the noise before entering, and now stood with a stern frown on his...