The String of Pearls (1850), p. 668

river, for fear Todd should try to escape us that way. You will be so good, Crotchet, as to be as vigilant as possible. You know how to find me if you want me."
"Rather, sir."
At this moment, and just as Crotchet was upon the point of leaving the room, an officer brought in a little slip of paper to Sir Richard Blunt, upon which was the word "Ben."
"Ben—Ben ?" said Sir Richard, "who is Ben? Oh, I think I know. Pray show him in at once. It is my friend the beef-eater, from the Tower."
"Easy does it," said Ben, popping his head in at the door of the room.
"Easy does it."
"So it does, Ben. Come in. I am glad to see you. You can go, Crotchet. Pray be seated, Ben, and tell me how I can serve you in any way, my good friend, and you may be assured that I shall have exceeding pleasure in doing so, if I possibly can in any way."
"Lord bless you," said Ben, " I hardly knows. There's ups and downs in this here world, and ins and outs."
"Not a doubt of it, Ben."
"And retreats within retreats, Sir Richard, and foxes, and laughing hyenas, as you can't concilliorate no how, if you wollop 'em till you can't wollop 'em no more."
"Precisely, Ben. If I were a hyena, I don't exactly think, do you know, that such a process would conciliate me."
"Oh dear yes—it's the only way. But what I've come about, Sir Richard, is what I calls a delicate affair. Oh, dear yes—I tries to take it easy but I can't—I'm—I'm—"
"What, Ben?"
"I'm in love! Oh!"
"Well, Ben, there is no great wonder in that. I have been in love myself, and I believe very few indeed escape the soft impeachment. I hope your love is prosperous, Ben?"
"Thank you kindly, Sir Richard, thank you; but, you see, I thought you might tell me if there was any vice or natural kicking running in the family,
and that's why I comed here."
"I tell you, Ben? Why I don't even know the name of the family."
"Yes, you does, Sir Richard. The young woman as I fell in love with, is Miss Julia Hardman, and her father is one of those chaps as nabs the bad un's for you, you know, Sir Richard."
"One of my officers?"
"To be sure he is."
"Does he reside in Norfolk Street, Strand?"
"Does he? Ay, he does; and that's how I came to know the little morsel of a cretur as has made for the first time an impression upon my heart. Oh, Ben, Ben, little could anybody think as you was a marryin gsort of person, and here you is in love with Miss Julia!"
"It does seem to me a little extraordinary, Ben, for I must confess I have heard you say some rather severe things against the married state."
"I have—I have; and if it hadn't a been for all the marrying set-out with those two girls, Johanna and Arabella, I never should have got sich a idea in my head. Howsomedever, there it is, and there it is likely to remain. It's a agravation, but there it is!"
"And how did you get acquainted with Julia Hardman?"
"Oh, dear! There's a public house at the corner of her street, and after I had been to Cousin Oakley's, I used to go there at times and get a drain of something, you see, and then she used to come tripping in with a mug for the family beer, you see ; and once it rained, so I took her up and carried her home beer and all, and that was how we got acquainted, you see, Sir Richard."
"A very natural way too, Ben. All I can say is, that I know her father to