You are too stern." Widow Precious had plenty of sharp sense to tell her that her children were by no means "pretty dears" to anybody but herself, and to herself only when in a very soft state of mind; at other times they were but three gew-mouthed lasses, and two looby loons with teeth enough for crunching up the dripping-pan.
"Your Warship spaketh fair," she said; "a'most too fair, I'm doubting.
Wad ye say what the maning is, and what name goeth pledge for the fafty poon, Sir ?" "Mistress Precious, my meaning always is plainer than a pikestaff; and as to pledges, the pledge is the hard cash down upon the nail, ma'am." "Bank-tokkins, mayhap, and I prummeese to paa, with the sign of the Dragon, and a woman among sheeps." "Madam, a bag of solid gold that can be weighed and counted.

Fifty new guineas from the mint of King George, in a water-proof bag just fit to be buried at the foot of a tree, or well under the thatch, or sewn up in the sacking of your bedstead, ma'am.

Ah, pretty dreams, what pretty dreams, with a virtuous knowledge of having done the right! Shall we say it is a bargain, ma'am, and wet it with a glass, at my expense, of the crystal spring that comes under the sea ?" "Naw, Sir, naw!--not till I knaw what.

I niver trafficks with the divil, Sir.

There wur a chap of Flaambro deed--" "My good madam, I can not stop all day.