"Why," said Frosty, "it's no great odds what comes of such rubbage as that." Now, Frosty, you know, in a general way, is a most polite, fair-spoken man, specially before Christmas, when he begins to look for the tips; and as we are not much troubled with strangers, thanks to your sensible way of handling them, I thought Frosty would have made the most of this natural son of Dives, and been as polite to him as possible.

However, he was evidently no favourite of Frosty's.

So I just asked--not that one likes to be familiar with servants, you know, but still this brown-booted beggar is enough to excite one's curiosity and make any one go out of one's way a little--so I just asked Frosty what he knew about him.

"All over the left," said Frosty, jerking his thumb back over his shoulder, and looking as knowing as a goose with one eye; "all over the left," repeated he.
"What's over the left ?" said I."Why, this Mr.Sponge," said he.

"How so ?" asked I."Why," said Frosty, "he's come gammonin' down here that he's a great man--full of money, and horses, and so on; but it's all my eye, he's no more a great man than I am."' 'The deuce!' exclaimed Jack, who had sat squinting and listening intently as his lordship proceeded.