Theothermadenoanswer，andturningawayImadeforthedoor；allofasuddenIstarted，andturninground，’Dearme，’saidI，’ithasjustcomeintomyhead，thatifthebookwaslostbymynegligence，asitmusthavebeen，Ihaveclearlyarighttomakeitgood。’
Noanswer。
’Yes，’Irepeated，’Ihaveclearlyarighttomakeitgood；howgladIam!seetheeffectofalittlereflection。IwillpurchaseaBibleinstantly，thatis，ifIhavenotlost-’andwithconsiderableagitationIfeltinmypocket。
Theprim-lookingmansmiled：’Isuppose，’saidhe，’thathehaslosthismoneyaswellasbook。’
’No，’saidI，’Ihavenot’；andpullingoutmyhandIdisplayednolessasumthanthreehalf-crowns。
’Oh，noblegoddessoftheMint!’asDameCharlottaNordenflycht，theSwede，saidahundredandfiftyyearsago，’greatisthypower；
howenergeticallythepossessionoftheespeaksinfavourofman’scharacter!’
’Onlyhalf-a-crownforthisBible？’saidI，puttingdownthemoney，’itisworththree’；andbowingtothemanofthenoblefeatures，I
departedwithmypurchase。
’Queercustomer，’saidtheprim-lookingman，asIwasabouttoclosethedoor-’don’tlikehim。’
’Why，astothat，Iscarcelyknowwhattosay，’saidheofthecountenanceofalion。
CHAPTERXLVI
Thepickpocket-Strangerencounter-Draghimalong-Agreatservice-Thingsofimportance-Philologicalmatters-Motheroflanguages-Zhats!
AFEWdaysaftertheoccurrenceofwhatisrecordedinthelastchapter，asIwaswanderingintheCity，chancedirectedmyfootstepstoanalleyleadingfromonenarrowstreettoanotherintheneighbourhoodofCheapside。JustbeforeIreachedthemouthofthealley，amaninagreatcoat，closelyfollowedbyanother，passedit；and，atthemomentinwhichtheywerepassing，I
observedthemanbehindsnatchsomethingfromthepocketoftheother；whereupon，dartingintothestreet，Iseizedthehindermostmanbythecollar，cryingatthesametimetotheother，’Mygoodfriend，thispersonhasjustpickedyourpocket。’
TheindividualwhomIaddressed，turningroundwithastart，glancedatme，andthenatthepersonwhomIheld。Londonistheplaceforstrangerencounters。ItappearedtomethatIrecognisedbothindividuals-themanwhosepockethadbeenpickedandtheother；thelatternowbegantostruggleviolently；’Ihavepickednoone’spocket，’saidhe。’Rascal，’saidtheother，’youhavegotmypocket-bookinyourbosom。’’No，Ihavenot，’saidtheother；
and，strugglingmoreviolentlythanbefore，thepocket-bookdroppedfromhisbosomupontheground。
Theotherwasnowabouttolayhandsuponthefellow，whowasstillstruggling。’Youhadbettertakeupyourbook，’saidI；’Icanholdhim。’Hefollowedmyadvice；and，takinguphispocket-book，surveyedmyprisonerwithaferociouslook，occasionallyglaringatme。Yes，Ihadseenhimbefore-itwasthestrangerwhomIhadobservedonLondonBridge，bythestalloftheoldapple-woman，withthecapandcloak；but，insteadofthese，henowworeahatandgreatcoat。’Well，’saidI，atlast，’whatamItodowiththisgentlemanofours？’noddingtotheprisoner，whohadnowleftoffstruggling。’ShallIlethimgo？’
’Go!’saidtheother；’go!Theknave-therascal；lethimgo，indeed!Notso，heshallgobeforetheLordMayor。Bringhimalong。’
’Oh，letmego，’saidtheother：’letmego；thisisthefirstoffence，Iassureye-thefirsttimeIeverthoughttodoanythingwrong。’
’Holdyourtongue，’saidI，’orIshallbeangrywithyou。IfIamnotverymuchmistaken，youonceattemptedtocheatme。’
’Ineversawyoubeforeinallmylife，’saidthefellow，thoughhiscountenanceseemedtobeliehiswords。
’Thatisnottrue，’saidI；’youarethemanwhoattemptedtocheatmeofone-and-ninepenceinthecoach-yard，onthefirstmorningofmyarrivalinLondon。’
’Idon’tdoubtit，’saidtheother；’aconfirmedthief’；andherehistonesbecamepeculiarlysharp；’Iwouldfainseehimhanged-
crucified。Draghimalong。’
’Iamnoconstable，’saidI；’youhavegotyourpocket-book，-I
wouldratheryouwouldbidmelethimgo。’
’Bidyoulethimgo!’saidtheotheralmostfuriously，’Icommand-
stay，whatwasIgoingtosay？Iwasforgettingmyself，’heobservedmoregently；’buthestolemypocket-book；-ifyoudidbutknowwhatitcontained。’
’Well，’saidI，’ifitcontainsanythingvaluable，bethemorethankfulthatyouhaverecoveredit；asfortheman，Iwillhelpyoutotakehimwhereyouplease；butIwishyouwouldlethimgo。’
Thestrangerhesitated，andtherewasanextraordinaryplayofemotioninhisfeatures：helookedferociouslyatthepickpocket，and，morethanonce，somewhatsuspiciouslyatmyself；atlasthiscountenancecleared，and，withagoodgrace，hesaid，’Well，youhavedonemeagreatservice，andyouhavemyconsenttolethimgo；buttherascalshallnotescapewithimpunity，’heexclaimedsuddenly，asIletthemango，andstartingforward，beforethefellowcouldescape，hestruckhimaviolentblowontheface。Themanstaggered，andhadnearlyfallen；recoveringhimself，however，hesaid，’Itellyouwhat，myfellow；ifIevermeetyouinthisstreetinadarknight，andIhaveaknifeaboutme，itshallbetheworseforyou；asforyou，youngman，’saidhetome；but，observingthattheotherwasmakingtowardshim，heleftwhateverhewasabouttosayunfinished，and，takingtohisheels，wasoutofsightinamoment。
ThestrangerandmyselfwalkedinthedirectionofCheapside，thewayinwhichhehadbeenoriginallyproceeding；hewassilentforafewmoments，atlengthhesaid，’Youhavereallydonemeagreatservice，andIshouldbeungratefulnottoacknowledgeit。Iamamerchant；andamerchant’spocket-book，asyouperhapsknow，containsmanythingsofimportance；but，youngman，’heexclaimed，’IthinkIhaveseenyoubefore；Ithoughtsoatfirst，butwhereI
cannotexactlysay：wherewasit？’ImentionedLondonBridgeandtheoldapple-woman。’Oh，’saidhe，andsmiled，andtherewassomethingpeculiarinhissmile，’Iremembernow。DoyoufrequentlysitonLondonBridge？’’Occasionally，’saidI；’thatoldwomanisanoldfriendofmine。’’Friend？’saidthestranger，’Iamgladofit，forIshallknowwheretofindyou。AtpresentI
amgoingto’Change；time，youknow，isprecioustoamerchant。’
WewerebythistimeclosetoCheapside。’Farewell，’saidhe，’I
shallnotforgetthisservice。Itrustweshallsoonmeetagain。’
Hethenshookmebythehandandwenthisway。
Thenextday，asIwasseatedbesidetheoldwomaninthebooth，thestrangeragainmadehisappearance，and，afterawordortwo，satdownbesideme；theoldwomanwassometimesreadingtheBible，whichshehadalreadyhadtwoorthreedaysinherpossession，andsometimesdiscoursingwithme。Ourdiscourserolledchieflyonphilologicalmatters。
’Whatdoyoucallbreadinyourlanguage？’saidI。
’Youmeanthelanguageofthosewhobringmethingstobuy，orwhodid；for，asItoldyoubefore，Ishan’tbuyanymore；it’snolanguageofmine，dear-theycallbreadpannamintheirlanguage。’
’Pannam!’saidI，’pannam!evidentlyconnectedwith，ifnotderivedfrom，theLatinpanis；evenasthewordtanner，whichsignifiethasixpence，isconnectedwith，ifnotderivedfrom，theLatintener，whichisitselfconnectedwith，ifnotderivedfrom，tawnoortawner，which，inthelanguageofMr。Petulengro，signifiethasuckingchild。Letmesee，whatisthetermforbreadinthelanguageofMr。Petulengro？Morro，ormanro，asIhavesometimeshearditcalled；istherenotsomeconnectionbetweenthesewordsandpanis？Yes，Ithinkthereis；andIshouldnotwonderifmorro，manro，andpaniswereconnected，perhapsderivedfrom，thesameroot；butwhatisthatroot？Idon’tknow-IwishIdid；
though，perhaps，Ishouldnotbethehappier。Morro-manro!I
ratherthinkmorroistheoldestform；itiseasiertosaymorrothanmanro。Morro!Irish，aran；Welsh，bara；English，bread。I
canseearesemblancebetweenallthewords，andpannamtoo；andI
ratherthinkthatthePetulengrianwordistheelder。HowodditwouldbeifthelanguageofMr。Petulengroshouldeventuallyturnouttobethemotherofallthelanguagesintheworld；yetitiscertainthattherearesomelanguagesinwhichthetermsforbreadhavenoconnectionwiththewordusedbyMr。Petulengro，notwithstandingthatthoselanguages，inmanyotherpoints，exhibitacloseaffinitytothelanguageofthehorse-shoemaster：forexample，bread，inHebrew，isLaham，whichassuredlyexhibitslittlesimilitudetothewordusedbytheaforesaidPetulengro。InArmenianitis-’
’Zhats!’saidthestranger，startingup。’BythePatriarchandtheThreeHolyChurches，thisiswonderful!HowcameyoutoknowaughtofArmenian？’
CHAPTERXLVII
Newacquaintance-Wiredcases-Breadandwine-Armeniancolonies-Learningwithoutmoney-Whatalanguage-Thetide-Yourfoible-LearningoftheHaiks-Oldproverb-Pressinginvitation。
JUSTasIwasabouttoreplytotheinterrogationofmynew-formedacquaintance，amanwithaduskycountenance，probablyoneoftheLascars，orMulattos，ofwhomtheoldwomanhadspoken，cameupandwhisperedtohim，andwiththismanhepresentlydeparted，nothoweverbeforehehadtoldmetheplaceofhisabode，andrequestedmetovisithim。