Will you help me to dress my wound, man, and leave off your cursed
sentimental speeches, which you must have gleaned from some old novel or
another? I'll hear it all by and by."
At this period I was a reckless young chap, with strong nerves, and my
own share of that animal courage, which generally oozes out at one's
finger ends when one gets married and turned of thirty; nevertheless I
did watch with some anxiety the effect which my unceremonious
interruption was to have upon him. I was agreeably surprised to find
that he took it all in good part, and set himself, with great alacrity
and kindness even, to put me to rights, and so successfully, that when I
was washed and cleansed, and fairly coopered up, I found myself quite
able to take my place at the table; and having no fear of the College of
Surgeons before my eyes, I helped myself to a little of the needful, and
in the plenitude of my heart, I asked Obed's pardon for my ill--bred
interruption.
"It was not quite the thing to cut you short in the middle of your
Newgate Calendar, Obed--beg pardon, your story I mean; no offence now,
none in the world--eh? But where the deuce, man, got you this fine
linen of Egypt?" looking at the sleeves of the shirt Obed had obliged me
with, as I sat without my coat. "I had not dreamt you had any thing so
luxurious in your kit."
I saw his brow begin to lower again, so the devil prompted me to advert,
by way of changing the subject, to a file of newspapers, which, as it
turned out, might have proved to be by far the most dangerous topic I
could have hit upon.
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