"How much?"
"We will investigate," said I, and opening the wallet, I discovered
the sum of thirty pounds in gold and notes and a carefully folded
missive with these words:
'If you wish to tinker, Peregrine, tinker like a gentleman. If you
must make love, do it like a Vereker, that is to say, a man of
honour.'
"My soul!" exclaimed the Tinker, round of eye.
In uncle George's purse were twenty guineas with a crumpled paper
bearing this scrawl,
'More when you want it, Perry lad.'
"Lord love me!" exclaimed the Tinker, staring at the money I had
placed on the grass between us. "It's a fine thing to have
uncles--rich 'uns. What d' you think, Ann?"
"That you'd better eat your dinner while it's hot."
"But--fifty pound, Ann! Never saw so much money all at once in my
life--an' all gold an' bank notes, nothing s' common as silver or
copper--Lord! Fifty pound!"
"Divided by four is exactly twelve pounds ten shillings," said I, and
counting out this sum, I thrust it into the Tinker's hand.
"Eh--what--why, why, what's this?" he demanded.
"Your share," I answered.
"But why--what for?"
"Because we are friends and comrades, I hope, and according to the
rules of the Brotherhood of the Roadside as expounded by you, 'those
that have, give to those that haven't--it would be a poor world
else.'"
"No, no!" he exclaimed, "no, no, can't be done--I think ye mean
kindly, but it won't do."
"But why not?" I demanded.
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