The footsteps belonged to a youth, not, certainly, oppressed by melancholy, to judge by the tune he was whistling, or very infirm, to judge by the pace at which he advanced.
He came nearer and nearer, and in another step would have been upon me when suddenly both he and the whistling halted.

He stooped, and, with an exclamation of surprise, picked me up.
"Man alive, an' it's a watch! Hout, boys! there's luck for yez!" So saying he thrust me and the ribbon into a pocket crowded with all sorts of oddments, and walked on more rapidly than ever.
I was too bewildered at first by my narrow escape and the sudden change in my fortunes to pay much heed to my new quarters; but presently that everlasting ribbon jerked my neck roughly, and called out in a loud whisper,-- "I say, watch, he's an Irishman!" "Oh!" said I, as briefly as I could.
"Yes, and there's a lucifer here tells me he's no better than he ought to be.

What do you think of that ?" "I think you and he ought to understand one another, if that's the case," growled I, unable to resist the temptation of a sarcastic reply.
"Ho, ho! that's pretty good for you, watch.

However, there are some folk who are not as good as they ought to be, let alone better." After a brief pause he began once more.
"He's young; only eighteen, I'm told." As no answer was necessary here, I vouchsafed none.
"And he's trying to get a job on some ship, there's a nice look-out! What a poor figure _you'd_ cut if you went to sea!" I could not stand this, probably because I knew it was true; so I turned my back, and in self-defence bade good evening to an old pocket-comb which lay near me.
"Whew! good evening! whew!" replied he.

He had a curious way, this comb, of giving a sort of half-whistle, half-sigh, between every few words he spoke.
"I suppose you are an older resident here than I am ?" I suggested, by way of making myself agreeable.
"No, I'm not, whew! I belong to the other pocket, whew! I don't know why I'm here, whew! but make yourself at home, whew!" "I hear your master is going to sea," said I.
"Not at all, whew! Who told you that?
whew! but I tell you what, whew--" "What ?" I inquired.
At this moment our master stopped still in the middle of the road.