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Dagley.-No, nor he woon't hev the stick, whether you want it or no. You've got no call to come an' talk about sticks o' these primises, as you woon't give a stick tow'rt mending. Go to Middlemarch to ax for your charrickter.

Mrs Dagley.-You'd far better hold your tongue, Dagley, and not kick your own trough over. When

a man as is father of a family has been an' spent money at market and made himself the worse for liquor, he's done enough mischief for one day. But I should like to know what my boy's done, sir.

Dagley.-Niver do you mind what he's done, it's my business to speak, an' not yourn. An' I wull speak, too. I'll hev my say-supper or no. An' what I say is, as I've lived upo' your ground from my father and grandfather afore me, an' hev dropped our money into't, an' me an' my children might lie an' rot on the ground for top-dressin' as we can't find the money to buy, if the King wasn't to put a stop.

Mr Brooke. My good fellow, you're drunk, you know. Another day, another day.

Dagley. I'm no more drunk nor you are, nor so much. I can carry my liquor, an' I know what I meean. An' I meean as the King 'ull put a stop to't, for them say it as knows it, as there's to be a Rinform, and them landlords as never done the right thing by their tenants 'ull be treated i̇' that way as they'll hev to scuttle off. An' there's them i' Middlemarch knows what the Rinform is-an' as knows who'll hev to scuttle. Says they, 'I know who your landlord is.' An' says I, 'I hope you're the better for knowin' him, I arn't.' Says they, 'He's a close-fisted un.' 'Ay, ay,' says I. 'He's a man for the Rinform,' says they. That's what they says. An' I made out what the

Rinform wer-an' it wer to send you an' your likes a-scuttlin'; an' wi' pretty strong-smellin' things too. An' you may do as you like now, for I'm none afeard on you. An' you'd better let my boy aloan, an' look to yoursen, afore the Rinform has got upo' your back. That's what I'n got to say.

Mrs Mawmsey.-Does this Mr Lydgate mean to say there is no use in taking medicine? I should like him to tell me how I could bear up at Fair time, if I didn't take strengthening medicine for a month beforehand. Think of what I have to provide for calling customers! a large veal pie-a stuffed fillet—a round of beef-ham, tongue, et cetera, et cetera! But what keeps me up best is the pink mixture, not the brown. I wonder, Mr Mawmsey, with your experience, you could have patience to listen. I should have told him at once that I knew a little better than that.

Mr Mawmsey. tell him my opinion. Hear everything and judge for yourself is my motto. But he didn't know who he was talking to. I was not to be turned on his finger. People often pretend to tell me things, when they might as well say, 'Mawmsey, you're a fool.' But I smile at it I humour everybody's weak place. If physic had done harm to self and family, I should have found it out by this time.

No, no, no; I was not going to

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Mrs Dollop.-Bulstrode was forced to take Old Harry into his counsel, and Old Harry's been too many for him.

Mr Crabbe.-Ay, ay, he's a 'complice you can't send out o' the country.

As to listening to what one lawyer says without asking another—I wonder at a man o' your cleverness, Mr Dill. It's well known there's always two sides, if no more; else who'd go to law, I should like to know?-Mrs Dollop.

Mr Jonas.-Why shouldn't they dig the man up, and have the Crowner? It's been done many and many's the time. If there's been foul play they might find it out.

Mrs Dollop.-Not they, Mr Jonas! I know what doctors are. They're a deal too cunning to be found out. And this Doctor Lydgate that's been for cutting up everybody before the breath was well out o' their body--it's plain enough what use he wanted to make o' looking into respectable people's insides. He knows drugs, you may be sure, as you can neither smell nor see, neither before they're swallowed nor after. Why, I've seen drops myself ordered by Doctor Gambit, as is our club doctor and a good charikter, and has brought more live children into the world nor ever another i' Middlemarch-I say I've seen drops myself as made no difference whether they was in the glass or out, and yet have griped you the next day. So I'll leave your own sense to judge. Don't tell me! All I say is, it's a mercy they didn't take this Doctor Lydgate on to our club. There's many a mother's

child might ha' rued it.

END OF MIDDLEMARCH,'

PART EIGHTH.

SAYINGS FROM

'THE SPANISH GYPSY'

AND OTHER POEMS.

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