“Don’t you worry about that,” ses Sam.  “I’ve got a pound or two left yet.”

“No, I ain’t going to be a burden on you,” ses Mr. Goodman, “but another week I must ’ave, so I must get the money somehow.  Peter can’t spend much, the way he goes on.”

Sam gave a little cough.

“I’ll get a pound or two out of ’im,” ses Mr. Goodman.

Sam coughed agin.  “Won’t he think it rather funny?” he ses, arter a bit.

“Not if it’s managed properly,” ses Mr. Good-man, thinking ’ard.  “I’ll tell you ’ow we’ll do it.  To-morrow morning, while we are eating of our breakfast, you ask me to lend you a pound or two.”

Sam, what ’ad just taken up ’is glass for a drink, put it down agin and stared at ’im.

“But I don’t want no money,” he ses; “and, besides, you ’aven’t got any.”

“You do as I tell you,” ses Mr. Goodman, “and when you’ve got it, you hand it over to me, see?  Ask me to lend you five pounds.”

Sam thought as ’ow the whiskey ’ad got to Mr. Goodman’s ’ead at last.  ’Owever, to pacify ’im he promised to do wot ’e was told, and next morning, when they was all at breakfast, he looks over and catches Mr. Goodman’s eye.

“I wonder if I might be so bold as to ask a favor of you?” he ses.

“Certainly,” ses Peter’s uncle, “and glad I shall be to oblige you.  There is no man I’ve got a greater respect for.”

“Thankee,” ses Sam.  “The fact is, I’ve run a bit short owing to paying a man some money I owed ’im.  If you could lend me five pounds, I couldn’t thank you enough.”

Mr. Goodman put down ’is knife and fork and wrinkled up ’is forehead.

“I’m very sorry,” he ses, feeling in ’is pockets; “do you want it to-day?”

“Yes; I should like it,” ses Sam.

“It’s most annoying,” ses Mr. Goodman, “but I was so afraid o’ pickpockets that I didn’t bring much away with me.  If you could wait till the day arter to-morrow, when my money is sent to me, you can ’ave ten if you like.”

“You’re very kind,” ses Sam, “but that ’ud be too late for me.  I must try and get it somewhere else.”  Peter and Ginger went on eating their breakfast, but every time Peter looked up he caught ’is uncle looking at ‘im in such a surprised and disappointed sort o’ way that ’e didn’t like the look of it at all.

“I could just do it for a couple o’ days, Sam,” he ses at last, “but it’ll leave me very short.”

“That’s right,” ses his uncle, smiling.  “My nevvy, Peter Russet, will lend it to you, Mr. Small, of ’is own free will.  He ’as offered afore he was asked, and that’s the proper way to do it, in my opinion.”

He reached acrost the table and shook ’ands with Peter, and said that generosity ran in their family, and something seemed to tell ’im as Peter wouldn’t lose by it.  Everybody seemed pleased with each other, and arter Ginger Dick and Peter ’ad gone out Mr. Goodman took the five pounds off of old Sam and stowed ’em away very careful in the match-box.