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.' 'But you are so unpunctual, Mr.Tudor.' '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 L18 from me when I received my last salary, and I have not had a shilling back since.' 'But you are so unpunctual, Mr.Tudor,' and Jabesh twisted his head backwards and forwards within his cravat, rubbing his chin with the interior starch.
'Well, then, I'll tell you what it is,' said Charley, 'I'll be shot if you get a shilling from me on the 1st of October, and you may sell me up as quick as you please.

If I don't give a history of your business that will surprise some people, my name isn't Tudor.' 'Ha, ha, ha!' laughed Mr.M'Ruen, with a soft quiet laugh.
'Well, really, Mr.Tudor, I would do more for you than any other young man that I know, if you were only a little more punctual.
How much is it you want now ?' 'L15--or L10--L10 will do.' 'Ten pounds!' said Jabesh, as though Charley had asked for ten thousand--'ten pounds!--if two or three would do--' 'But two or three won't do.' 'And whose name will you bring ?' 'Whose name! why Scatterall's, to be sure.' Now Scatterall was one of the navvies; and from him Mr.M'Ruen had not yet succeeded in extracting one farthing, though he had his name on a volume of Charley's bills.
'Scatterall--I don't like Mr.Scatterall,' said Jabesh; 'he is very dissipated, and the most unpunctual young man I ever met--you really must get some one else, Mr.Tudor; you really must.' 'Oh, that's nonsense--Scatterall is as good as anybody--I couldn't ask any of the other fellows--they are such a low set.' 'But Mr.Scatterall is so unpunctual.

There's your cousin, Mr.
Alaric Tudor.' 'My cousin Alaric! Oh, nonsense! you don't suppose I'd ask him to do such a thing?
You might as well tell me to go to my father.' 'Or that other gentleman you live with; Mr.Norman.He is a most punctual gentleman.