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The Chequers - Being the Natural History of a Public-House, Set Forth in - a Loafer's Diary by James Runciman
page 20 of 151 (13%)
full three hours, until I had not a dry stitch on me; then a funny
little waterside inn drew my eye, and I went ashore. Bob Darbishire met
me with a shout of welcome, and I wondered what brought him there. Bob
did not often visit The Chequers, for he was a wealthy fellow, and he
liked best to fool his time away in flash billiard-rooms; but he knew me
well enough, and I was on as easy terms with him as with the costers and
Rommany chals. I say _was_ when I speak of him. Ah me!

Bob succeeded to a great deal of ready money and a good business when he
was barely twenty-one, and he broke out into a rackety life at once, for
he had been hard held in by his father and mother, and his mad
activities craved for some vent. Had he been well guided he would have
become a useful citizen, but he was driven with a cruel bit, and the
reins were savagely jerked whenever he seemed restive. When he once was
free, he set off at a wild rate down the steep that leads to perdition,
and plenty of people cheered him as he flew on. It vexed me often to see
a fine, generous lad surrounded by spongers who rooked him at every
turn; but what could one do? The sponger has no mercy and no manliness;
he is always a person with violent appetites, and he will procure
excitement at the cost of his manliness and even of his honesty.
Bob had an open hand, and thought nothing of paying for twenty
brandies-and-sodas in the course of a morning. Twenty times eightpence
does not seem much, but if you keep up that average daily for a year you
have spent a fair income. No one ever tried to stay this prodigal with a
word of advice; indeed, in such cases advice is always useless, for the
very man whom you may seek to save is exceedingly likely to swear, or
even to strike at you. He thinks you impugn his wisdom and sharpness,
and he loves, above all things, to be regarded as an acute fellow. A few
favoured gentry almost lived on Bob, and scores of outsiders had pretty
pickings when he was in a lavish humour, which was nearly every day. He
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