60 ANGEL PAVEMENT

looked as if his hat would fall off. "Go-Golspie, tha's
wha's 'appened—Gol-sss-pie."

"Who's that? Do you mean—"

"Feller same s'mornin'."

"But what about him."

Goath now threw back his head and looked defiant
"Mister Wha'sit bloody Gol-spie?" he announced, with
great deliberation, "tha's the feller. An' he's a—devil.
I to!' him, I tol' him Thirry years—thirry years—in the
trade, tha's me.' An' wha' did he say to tha? Wha' did
he bloody well say?"

"Here, old man, steady, steady," Mr. Smeeth
cautioned him.

"Don't mind me," said Miss Matfield coolly. "Go on,
Mr. Goath. What did he say? Tell us all about it."

"Never mind wha' he said," cried Goath aggressively,
glaring round at them all. "Does'n' ma'cr wha' 'e said.
Who is 'e? Where's 'e come from? With 'is drinks an*
cigars! All ri—very nice—drinks an' cigars—but any-
body can buy drinks an' cigars, an' do buy drinks an'
cigars and big lunches. It's wha' / say—thirry years,
don' forge' tha', thirry years-wha' / say tha' ma'ers.
An' I say—wha's the game?—where's 'e get this stuff
from?—who tol' 'im to come here?"

"Yes, but what's this chap doing?" Mr. Smeeth asked.
"That's what I want to know."

"Bullyin' an' twistin', tha's wha' Je's dom'," replied
Goath promptly, taking off his hat. "An' he's got Mr.
Dersi'am like tha', jus' like tha'." And, to the intense
delight of Stanley, one hand fell heavily on the hat. "It's
jus' like wha's it-y'know-wha's it, wha's it?" And to
show what he did mean, Goath glared Harder than ever
and then wiggled his fingers in front of his eyes, direct-