The String of Pearls (1850), p. 220

"Has he brought yours?" he said.
"What?—who?"
"Why the other two gallons for you and Johanna."
"Good gracious, Ben, you don't mean that?"
"Don't I, though. Oh, here he is. All's right. Now, my lad, get the little pint
jug, with the silver top to it, and if we don't mull a drop, I'm a sinner. Now,
you'll see if Mrs. O. don't come round quite handsome."
Ben, by the aid of some sugar, succeeded in making a very palatable drink,
and just as the steam began to salute the nostrils of old Oakley and himself,
the door of the parlour was opened, and who should heedlessly step into the
room but the pious Mr. Lupin himself. Mr. Lupin was so transfixed by finding
Ben there, that for a moment or two he could not gather strength to retreat; and
during that brief period, Ben had shifted his chair, until he got quite behind the
reverend gentleman, who, when he did step back, in consequence fell into Ben s
lap.
"What do yer mean?" cried Ben, in a voice of thunder.
"Oh, murder—murder! Have mercy upon me! I only looked in as I was
passing, to ask how all the family was.''
"Yes," said Mr. Oakley, "and because you, no doubt, heard I was going to
Tottenham, to Judge Merivale's, to fit him with a pair of spectacles."
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Let me go, sir."
"I don't want you," said Ben; "but as you are here, let's make an end of all
differences, and have a pint together."
"A pint ?"
"Yes, to be sure. By the look of your nose, I should say it knows pretty well what a pint is."
"Oh, dear—man is sinful alway. I bear no malice, and if the truly right-
minded and pious Mrs. Oakley was only here, we might drink down all differences, Mr. a—a—"
"Ben."
"Mr. Ben. Thank you, sir."
"Oh, Mr. Lupin," cried Mrs. Oakley, at this moment bursting into the
parlour. "Is it possible that you can give your mind in this way to the
Philistines? Is not this backsliding?"
"Let us hope for the best, sister," said Mr. Lupin, with an evangelical
twang. "Let us hope for the best. If people will drink, they had much better
drink with the saints, who may take some favourable opportunity of converting
them, than with sinners."
"Sit down, mum," said Ben, "and let's bury all animosities in the can. Easy does it. Don't you go, Johanna."
"Yes, but, Ben, I—"
"Now don't."
Ben saw by the direction of Johanna's eyes, that the Rev. gentleman was
resting one of his red raw-looking hands upon her arm, and, situated as she was,
she could not get out of his way but by rising.
"Sit still," said Ben. "Easy does it."
Lifting up the can, then, he pretended to drink out of it, and then brought it
with such a thundering crack upon Mr. Lupin's head, that it quite staggered
him.
"Paws off," said Ben. "Just attend to that ere gentle hint, old friend."
Mr. Lupin sat down with a groan.
"Now, mum," said Ben, who all the while had held fast the stone mug of
mulled porter. "Now, mum, here's some hot, that don't suit me so well as the
cold, perhaps you and Mr. Lupin will take that, while I cuts a few more
sandwiches."
He placed the jug before Mr. Lupin, who thereupon left off rubbing his head,
and said—
"I'm sure it would be highly unchristian of me to bear any malice, so, with