Page:Oliver Twist (1838) vol. 1.djvu/92

78 "Bayton," said the undertaker, looking from the scrap of paper to Mr. Bumble; "I never heard the name before."

Bumble shook his head as he replied, "Obstinate people, Mr. Sowerberry, very obstinate; proud, too, I'm afraid, sir." "Proud, eh?" exclaimed Mr. Sowerberry with a sneer.—"Come, that's too much." "Oh, it's sickening," replied the beadle; "perfectly antimonial, Mr. Sowerberry." "So it is," acquiesced the undertaker. "We only heard of them the night before last," said the beadle; "and we shouldn't have known anything about them then, only a woman who lodges in the same house made an application to the porochial committee for them to send the porochial surgeon to see a woman as was very bad. He had gone out to dinner; but his 'prentice, which is a very clever lad, sent 'em some medicine in a blacking-bottle, off-hand." "Ah, there's promptness," said the undertaker. "Promptness, indeed!" replied the beadle.