He did it twice, and I was
just going to say something to 'im, something that I 'ad been getting
ready for 'im, when he spoke to me.
"Good evening," he ses.
"Good evening," I ses, folding the paper over and looking at 'im rather
severe.
"I hope you'll excuse me staring," he ses, very perlite; "but I've never
seen such a face and figger as yours in all my life--never."
"Ah, you ought to ha' seen me a few years ago," I ses. "I'm like
everybody else--I'm getting on."
"Rubbish!" he ses. "You couldn't be better if you tried. It's
marvellous! Wonderful! It's the very thing I've been looking for.
Why, if you'd been made to order you couldn't ha' been better."
I thought at fust he was by way of trying to get a drink out o' me--I've
been played that game afore--but instead o' that he asked me whether I'd
do 'im the pleasure of 'aving one with 'im.
We went over to the Albion, and I believe I could have 'ad it in a pail
if I'd on'y liked to say the word. And all the time I was drinking he
was looking me up and down, till I didn't know where to look, as the
saying is.
"I came down 'ere to look for somebody like you," he ses, "but I never
dreamt I should have such luck as this.
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