"You ain't never done much blank work, _you_ ain't. Your dukes is same
as silk. Bin a tailor?"

"No, I have other work to do."

"All square, mate; 'tain't no business o' mine. Things is bad 'ere. The
blank, blank swine of a blank landlord, he takes pooty well 'alf of
every tanner I can make, and d----d if he'll do anything to the place."

"Smells are queer down here."

"Smell! Lord love you, come down yere to-morrer, and you'll git to know
wot stinks is. Let Teddy show you that 'ere bloomin' ditch at the back.
They calls it a stream, but I dussn't say wot I thinks it is afore the
nipper. All the dead cats and muck in the bloomin' crehation gits dumped
in there. On 'ot days you wants a nosebag on, I tell you, and no error."

"Does Teddy go to school?"

"No fear; not yet. But he's fly as they makes 'em, he is. Useful he is,
too. 'Andy as makes no matter, and he ain't no more 'n seven."

"Well, I'm coming to see Teddy and the ditch to-morrow. Will you have
another pint?"

"Right, matey; that'll do for to-morrow. Ain't you got no less 'n a
tanner? Never mind, I'll square when I'm flush."

Next day I visited the alley, and went to the gap where it opened on to
the ditch. There was an admirably efficient hotbed for rearing diseases