The String of Pearls (1850), p. 442

would pay me for the day. I suppose she means to make a day of it, and that's the reason. Now, young man, what's for you?"
"A pork with a nob of veal in it to give it a relish," was the reply of the young scion of the law, to whom Stag had addressed herself.
"Go along with you, I don't want none o' your imperence."
"Now, ma' an, look alive. Two veals if you please. One pork&£8212;five porks&£8212;
four veals. Do you make half a veal?"
"No we don't."
"A hot pork&£8212;three porks&£8212;two porks&£8212;eight veals. Don't be pushing in that
way&£8212;four porks&£8212;smash. There, now, I've dropped mine, and its all along of
you."
"Do be quiet," said Stag, "gentlemen do be quiet; 'patience,' says Paul, "and I'II soon serve you all.' What are you laughing at, you little jackanapes? You ought to be ashamed of yourself to be making faces at a female twice you age."
"And three times your size," said a voice.
There was a great roar of laughter at this, but by degrees poor Stag got through the business of the twelve o'clock batch, and sat down with a sigh, to console herself, by eating two or three of the most luscious-looking that remained.
"It ain't to be denied," said Stag, "but they are good. I never met with such gravy in all my life as is in 'ere Yes, they are first-rate. I'll just put one in the crown of my bonnet, for there's no knowing a minute now when Mrs. L. may pop in upon one at unawares, like. It's a comfort to have one of these pies, promiscous like, at one's hand, to lay hold. of just in this sort of way, and pass in one's mouth in this kind of way. Oh, heart alive, but this is a good one. I declare the gravy is running out of it like water from a plug, when there's no house on fire, and it ain't wanred."
Mrs. Stag would have done very well indeed if she could but have got something to drink. That certainly was a drawback, that at first the lady's in- genuity did not present any means of speedily overcoming; but as necessity is the mother of invention, Mrs. Stagg at last hit upon a plan.
"There's plenty of money in the till, of course," she said, "and suppose I stand at the door, and wait till some wretch of a boy passes, and then give him a halfpenny for himself, just to run to the corner and get me a drop of something warm and comfortable."
Mrs. Stag had no sooner started this " suppose," than she felt a burning desire to carry it out; and accordingly, history says, that at a quarter to one she might have been seen at the door of Mrs. Loyett's pie-shop, with a shiling in one hand, a halfpenny in another, and a bottle concealed in her pocket, looking like an ogress at every boy who passed, and who looked as though he wanted a halfpenny, and consequently would go upon the secret message, for the purpose of earning one there and then.
Presently one came along the centre of Bell Yard, who seemed just the sort of person.
"Boy, boy!" cried Mrs. Stag.
"Well, old 'un," he replied, "what do you bring it in&£8212;Wilful Murder with the chill off, or what?"
"Don't be owdacious. If you want to earn a penny&£8212;I mean a halfpenny&£8212;honestly, take this shilling and this bottle, and go to the corner, and get a quartern of the best."
"The best what?"
"Oh, you foolish boy. Gin, of course; but remember that my eye is upon you."
It was well that Mrs. Stag spoke in the singular regarding her optical organ, for she had but one. The boy professed a ready acquiescence, and away he went, with the bottle and the shilling. Alas! Mrs. Stag was left lamenting. He came not back again, and from thenceforward Mrs. Stag lost the small