The boldest spirits were then cowed, the loudest miscreants were then silenced, there were but few gibes, but little jeering at the Internal Navigation on that day; though Charley, who had already other hopes, contrived to keep up his spirits.

The men stood about talking in clusters, and old animosities were at an end.
The lamb sat down with the wolf, and Mr.Snape and Dick Scatterall became quite confidential.
'I knew it was going to happen,' said Mr.Snape to him.

'Indeed, Mr.Oldeschole has been consulting us about it for some time; but I must own I did not think it would be so sudden; I must own that.' 'If you knew it was coming,' said Corkscrew, 'why didn't you tell a chap ?' 'I was not at liberty,' said Mr.Snape, looking very wise.
'We shall all have liberty enough now,' said Scatterall; 'I wonder what they'll do with us; eh, Charley ?' 'I believe they will send the worst of us to Spike Island or Dartmoor prison,' said Charley; 'but Mr.Snape, no doubt, has heard and can tell us.' 'Oh, come, Charley! It don't do to chaff now,' said a young navvy, who was especially down in the mouth.

'I wonder will they do anything for a fellow ?' 'I heard my uncle, in Parliament Street, say, that when a chap has got any _infested_ interest in a thing, they can't turn him out,' said Corkscrew; 'and my uncle is a parliamentary agent.' 'Can't they though!' said Scatterall.

'It seems to me that they mean to, at any rate; there wasn't a word about pensions or anything of that sort, was there, Mr.Snape ?' 'Not a word,' said Snape.