CHAPTERLIII
Singulartable-Nomoney-Outofemploy-Mybonnet-Weofthethimble-Goodwages-Wiselyresolved-Strangestwayintheworld-Fatgentleman-Notsuchanother-Firstedition-Notveryeasy-Won’tclose-Avellagorgio-Alarmedlook。
PRESENTLYamanemergedfromthetent，bearingbeforehimarathersingulartable；itappearedtobeofwhitedeal，wasexceedinglysmallatthetop，andwithverylonglegs。Atafewyardsfromtheentrancehepaused，andlookedround，asiftodecideonthedirectionwhichheshouldtake；presently，hiseyeglancingonmeasIlayupontheground，hestarted，andappearedforamomentinclinedtomakeoffasquickaspossible，tableandall。Inamoment，however，heseemedtorecoverassurance，and，cominguptotheplacewhereIwas，thelonglegsofthetableprojectingbeforehim，hecried，’Gladtoseeyouhere，mylord。’
’Thankyou，’saidI，’it’safineday。’
’Veryfine，mylord；willyourlordshipplay？Themthatfinds，wins-themthatdon’tfinds，loses。’
’Playatwhat？’saidI。
’Onlyatthethimbleandpea，mylord。’
’Ineverheardofsuchagame。’
’Didn’tyou？Well，I’llsoonteachyou，’saidhe，placingthetabledown。’Allyouhavetodoistoputasovereigndownonmytable，andtofindthepea，whichIputunderoneofmythimbles。
Ifyoufindit，-anditiseasyenoughtofindit，-Igiveyouasovereignbesidesyourown：forthemthatfinds，wins。’
’Andthemthatdon’tfinds，loses，’saidI；’no，Idon’twishtoplay。’
’Whynot，mylord？’
’Why，inthefirstplace，Ihavenomoney。’
’Oh，youhavenomoney，thatofcoursealtersthecase。Ifyouhavenomoney，youcan’tplay。Well，IsupposeImustbeseeingaftermycustomers，’saidhe，glancingovertheplain。
’Good-day，’saidI。
’Good-day，’saidthemanslowly，butwithoutmoving，andasifinreflection。Afteramomentortwo，lookingatmeinquiringly，headded，’Outofemploy？’
’Yes，’saidI，’outofemploy。’
ThemanmeasuredmewithhiseyeasIlayontheground。Atlengthhesaid，’MayIspeakawordortwotoyou，mylord？’
’Asmanyasyouplease，’saidI。
’Thenjustcomealittleoutofhearing，alittlefartheronthegrass，ifyouplease，mylord。’
’Whydoyoucallmemylord？’saidI，asIaroseandfollowedhim。
’Weofthethimblealwayscallsourcustomerslords，’saidtheman；
’butIwon’tcallyousuchafoolishnameanymore；comealong。’
Themanwalkedalongtheplaintillhecametothesideofadrypit，when，lookingroundtoseethatnoonewasnigh，helaidhistableonthegrass，and，sittingdownwithhislegsoverthesideofthepit，hemotionedmetodothesame。’Soyouareinwantofemploy？’saidhe，afterIhadsatdownbesidehim。
’Yes，’saidI，’Iamverymuchinwantofemploy。’
’IthinkIcanfindyousome。’
’Whatkind？’saidI。
’Why，’saidtheman，’Ithinkyouwoulddotobemybonnet。’
’Bonnet!’saidI，’whatisthat？’
’Don’tyouknow？However，nowonder，asyouhadneverheardofthethimbleandpeagame，butIwilltellyou。Weofthegameareverymuchexposed；folkswhentheyhavelosttheirmoney，asthosewhoplaywithusmostlydo，sometimesusesroughlanguage，callsuscheats，andsometimesknocksourhatsoveroureyes；andwhat’smore，withakickunderourtable，causethetopdealstoflyoff；
thisisthethirdtableIhaveusedthisday，theothertwobeingbrokenbyuncivilcustomers：soweofthegamegenerallyliketohavegentlemengoaboutwithustotakeourpart，andencourageus，thoughpretendingtoknownothingaboutus；forexample，whenthecustomersays，“I’mcheated，“thebonnetmustsay，“No，youain’t，itisallright“；or，whenmyhatisknockedovermyeyes，thebonnetmustsquare，andsay，“Ineversawthemanbeforeinallmylife，butIwon’tseehimill-used“；andso，whentheykicksatthetable，thebonnetmustsay，“Iwon’tseethetableill-used，suchanicetable，too；besides，Iwanttoplaymyself“；andthenIwouldsaytothebonnet，“Thankyou，mylord，themthatfinds，wins“；andthenthebonnetplays，andIletsthebonnetwin。’
’Inaword，’saidI，’thebonnetmeansthemanwhocoversyou，evenastherealbonnetcoversthehead。’
’Ijustso，’saidtheman；’Iseeyouareawake，andwouldsoonmakeafirst-ratebonnet。’
’Bonnet，’saidI，musingly；’bonnet；itismetaphorical。’
’Isit？’saidtheman。
’Yes，’saidI，’likethecantwords-’
’Bonnetiscant，’saidtheman；’weofthethimble，aswellasallcly-fakersandthelike，understandcant，as，ofcourse，musteverybonnet；so，ifyouareemployedbyme，youhadbetterlearnitassoonasyoucan，thatwemaydiscoursetogetherwithoutbeingunderstoodbyeveryone。Besidescoveringhisprincipal，abonnetmusthavehiseyesabouthim，forthetradeofthepea，thoughastrictlyhonestone，isnotaltogetherlawful；soitisthedutyofthebonnet，ifheseestheconstablecoming，tosay，Thegorgio’swelling。’
’Thatisnotcant，’saidI，’thatisthelanguageoftheRommanyChals。’
’Doyouknowthosepeople？’saidtheman。
’Perfectly，’saidI，’andtheirlanguagetoo。’
’IwishIdid，’saidtheman；’IwouldgivetenpoundsandmoretoknowthelanguageoftheRommanyChals。There’ssomeofitinthelanguageofthepeaandthimble；howitcamethereIdon’tknow，butsoitis。IwishIknewit，butitisdifficult。You’llmakeacapitalbonnet；shallweclose？’
’Whatwouldthewagesbe？’Idemanded。
’Why，toafirst-ratebonnet，asIthinkyouwouldprove，Icouldaffordtogivefromfortytofiftyshillingsaweek。’
’Isitpossible？’saidI。
’Goodwages，ain’tthey？’saidtheman。
’First-rate，’saidI；’bonnetingismoreprofitablethanreviewing。’
’Anan？’saidtheman。
’Ortranslating；Idon’tthinktheArmenianwouldhavepaidmeatthatratefortranslatinghisEsop。’
’Whoishe？’saidtheman。
’Esop？’
’No，Iknowwhatthatis，Esop’scantforahunchback；butt’other？’
’Youshouldknow，’saidI。
’Neversawthemaninallmylife。’
’Yes，youhave，’saidI，’andfelthimtoo；don’tyouremembertheindividualfromwhomyoutookthepocket-book？’
’Oh，thatwashe；well，thelesssaidaboutthatmatterthebetter；
Ihaveleftoffthattrade，andtakentothis，whichisamuchbetter。Betweenourselves，IamnotsorrythatIdidnotcarryoffthatpocket-book；ifIhad，itmighthaveencouragedmeinthetrade，inwhichhadIremained，Imighthavebeenlagged，sentabroad，asIhadbeenalreadyimprisoned；soIdeterminedtoleaveitoffatallhazards，thoughIwashardup，nothavingapennyintheworld。’
’Andwiselyresolved，’saidI；’itwasabadanddangeroustrade，I
wonderyoushouldeverhaveembracedit。’
’Itisallverywelltalking，’saidtheman，’butthereisareasonforeverything；IamthesonofaJewess，byamilitaryofficer’-
andthenthemantoldmehisstory。Ishallnotrepeattheman’sstory，itwasapoorone，avileone；atlastheobserved，’Sothataffairwhichyouknowofdeterminedmetoleavethefilchingtrade，andtakeupwithamorehonestandsafeone；soatlastIthoughtofthepeaandthimble，butIwantedfunds，especiallytopayforlessonsatthehandsofamaster，forIknewlittleaboutit。’
’Well，’saidI，’howdidyougetoverthatdifficulty？’
’Why，’saidtheman，’IthoughtIshouldneverhavegotoverit。
WhatfundscouldIraise？Ihadnothingtosell；thefewclothesI
hadIwanted，forweofthethimblemustalwaysappeardecent，ornobodywouldcomenearus。Iwasatmywits’ends；atlastIgotovermydifficultyinthestrangestwayintheworld。’
’Whatwasthat？’
’ByanoldthingwhichIhadpickedupsometimebefore-abook。’
’Abook？’saidI。
’Yes，whichIhadtakenoutofyourlordship’spocketonedayasyouwerewalkingthestreetsinagreathurry。Ithoughtitwasapocket-bookatfirst，fullofbank-notes，perhaps，’continuedhe，laughing。’Itwaswellforme，however，thatitwasnot，forI
shouldhavesoonspentthenotes；asitwas，Ihadflungtheoldthingdownwithanoath，assoonasIbroughtithome。WhenIwassohardup，however，aftertheaffairwiththatfriendofyours，I