Full well I saw through his pinch-beck mask.

I knew his tricks.

In the ab-sence of my em-ployer, he would put up rods, and ever so many more than was wanted, and likely, too, some miser-able trash that would attrack the light-ening, instead of keep-ing it off.
Then, as it would spoil the house to take them down, they would be kept, and pay demand-ed.

'No, sir,' says I.'No light-en-ing rods upon this house whilst I stand here,' and with that I walk-ed away, and let Lord Edward loose.

The man he storm-ed with pas-si-on.