Montague was quick in his rejoinder, though he made it at a venture.
There was no difference of opinion between him and his friend on THAT
point. Not the least.
'Your great discovery,' Jonas proceeded, with a savage sneer that
got the better of him for the moment, 'may be true, and may be false.
Whichever it is, I dare say I'm no worse than other men.'
'Not a bit,' said Tigg. 'Not a bit. We're all alike--or nearly so.'
'I want to know this,' Jonas went on to say; 'is it your own? You'll not
wonder at my asking the question.'
'My own!' repeated Montague.
'Aye!' returned the other, gruffly. 'Is it known to anybody else? Come!
Don't waver about that.'
'No!' said Montague, without the smallest hesitation. 'What would it be
worth, do you think, unless I had the keeping of it?'
Now, for the first time, Jonas looked at him. After a pause, he put out
his hand, and said, with a laugh:
'Come! make things easy to me, and I'm yours. I don't know that I may
not be better off here, after all, than if I had gone away this morning.
But here I am, and here I'll stay now. Take your oath!'
He cleared his throat, for he was speaking hoarsely and said in a
lighter tone:
'Shall I go to Pecksniff? When? Say when!'
'Immediately!' cried Montague.
Pages:
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1188
1189
1190
1191
1192
1193
1194
1195
1196
1197