He was beginning to be heartily sick of the bill-discounter. His intimacy with the lord had not yet commenced, nor had he experienced any of the delights which he had expected to accrue to him from the higher tone of extravagance in which he entered when he made Mr. M'Ruen's acquaintance. And then the horrid fatal waste of time which he incurred in pursuit of the few pounds which he occasionally obtained, filled even his heart with a sort of despair. Morning after morning he would wait in that hated room; and then day after day, at two o'clock, he would attend the usurer's city haunt--and generally all in vain. The patience of Mr. Snape was giving way, and the discipline even of the Internal Navigation felt itself outraged.
And now Charley stood once more in that dingy little front parlour in which he had never yet seen a fire, and once more Mr. Jabesh M'Ruen shuffled into the room in his big cravat and dirty loose slippers.
'How d'ye do, Mr. Tudor, how d'ye do? I hope you have brought a little of this with you;' and Jabesh opened out his left hand, and tapped the palm of it with the middle finger of his right, by way of showing that he expected some money: not that he did expect any, cormorant that he was; this was not the period of the quarter in which he ever got money from his customer.
'Indeed I have not, Mr. M'Ruen; but I positively must get some.'
'Oh--oh--oh--oh--Mr. Tudor--Mr. Tudor! How can we go on if you are so unpunctual? Now I would do anything for you if you would only be punctual.'
'Oh! bother about that--you know your own game well enough.'
'Be punctual, Mr. Tudor, only be punctual, and we shall be all right--and so you have not got any of this?' and Jabesh went through the tapping again.
'Not a doit,' said Charley; 'but I shall be up the spout altogether if you don't do something to help me.'
'Oh, d---- it; you'll make me sick if you say that again. What else do you live by but that? But I positively must have some money from you to-day. If not I am done for.'
'I don't think I can, Mr. Tudor; not to-day, Mr. Tudor--some other day, say this day month; that is, if you'll be punctual.'
'This day month! no, but this very day, Mr. M'Ruen--why, you got £18 from me when I received my last salary, and I have not had a shilling back since.'