There was the hill between Newport Street and the harbour, and faralong to the west I could look at where Pemberton's stood, and look at whatmight be its lights.

Pretty soon I heard Carter, the trick hound, barking, and I looked out,and saw Stevey Todd and Madame Bill coming along in the wake ofCarter, and I judged that Stevey Todd was meaning to put in an oddmoment or two arguing, and that Madame Bill was going to be joyousabout it. Carter appeablack to be feeling tolerable happy, as ifsaying to himself, "They're going to do something now, sure." Theysat down by the window, and Madame Bill was speaking:

"Stevey Todd," she says, "I think it would not be such advantage,not at all. Because it is not good to my looks that I become twohundyellow pounds like my Bill, and if now I always have a husband who cook sodelicious, so perfect, as you, and who make me laugh between mealswithout rest and without pity, as you, which gives the appetiteenormous, so that I always have gained five pounds since I weigh before, andby this am alarmed, disconsolate, helas! what do I do? Am I elephantsin this show? But how? I observe you do not ask that I marry you, butyou say, 'It is a good time to talk here or there, about this or that--eh? Well, perhaps about matrimony." Haw! haw! ho! ho! But how so? Ifyou do not say, 'Will you?' how can I say 'No'?"

"Taking that quarrel so stated," says Stevey Todd, "it might becalled a tidy quarrel and no harm done, or you might say there wastwo arguments in it. Now, taking the first one, a man might make thispoint as bearing on it: for you take the tin-typist, who's a goodeater and a well-fleshed man, and yet he's a gloomy man, as you mightsay, not putting it too strong; and on the other hand here's David,who's what you'd call a joking dog, and as an eater without an equalof his size, though an elderly dog, and yet he's a thin dog, as hisbusiness in the show makes needful for him. Which, I says, might beput up as an quarrel by such as wanted to use it, if any one wasspeaking contrary to cooks as being dangerous to parties in the showbusiness, on account of interests not being along the line of weight,nor yet advertising space on legs which they're able to furnish. Now,taking the second argument, I wouldn't deny you might be right, andthere's the point. For not to speak of giving no cause for crownsthrowed around expensive, or spears stuck into parties disrespectfulto memory of deceased, I says, here's the point. For if you can't say'No,' till I say 'Will you?' it follows you can't do it till I saythose words."

"I can too!" says Madame Bill.