"How did he get hold of all the specimens, as he calls them? What
business has he poking his nose down people's wells and waterbutts?"
But an unexpected ally arose at this juncture, in the coast-guard
lieutenant, who, being valiant after his evening's brandy-and-water,
rose and declared, "that Dr. Thurnall was a very clever man; that
by what he'd seen himself in the West Indies, it was all as true as
gospel; that the parish might have the cholera if it liked,"--and here
a few expletives occurred,--"but that he'd see that the coast-guard
houses were put to rights at once; for he would not have the lives of
Her Majesty's servants endangered by such dirty tricks, not fit for
heathen savages," etc. etc.
Tom struck while the iron was hot. He saw that the great man's speech
had produced an impression.
"Would he" (so he asked the lieutenant privately) "get some one to
join him, and present a few of these nuisances?"
He would do anything in his contempt for "a lot of long-shore
merchant-skippers and herringers, who went about calling themselves
captains, and fancy themselves, sir, as good as if they wore the
Queen's uniform!"
"Well, then, can't we find another householder--some cantankerous dog
who don't mind a row?"
Yes, the cantankerous dog was found, in the person of Mr. John
Penruddock, coal-merchant, who had quarrelled with Tardrew, because
Tardrew said he gave short weight--which he very probably did--and had
quarrelled also with Thomas Beer, senior, shipbuilder, about right of
passage through a back-yard.
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