'
Keeping these latter words to himself, and returning his daughter's nod,
he was passing into the workshop, with the smile she had awakened still
beaming on his face, when he just caught sight of his 'prentice's brown
paper cap ducking down to avoid observation, and shrinking from the
window back to its former place, which the wearer no sooner reached than
he began to hammer lustily.
'Listening again, Simon!' said Gabriel to himself. 'That's bad. What in
the name of wonder does he expect the girl to say, that I always catch
him listening when SHE speaks, and never at any other time! A bad habit,
Sim, a sneaking, underhanded way. Ah! you may hammer, but you won't beat
that out of me, if you work at it till your time's up!'
So saying, and shaking his head gravely, he re-entered the workshop, and
confronted the subject of these remarks.
'There's enough of that just now,' said the locksmith. 'You needn't make
any more of that confounded clatter. Breakfast's ready.'
'Sir,' said Sim, looking up with amazing politeness, and a peculiar
little bow cut short off at the neck, 'I shall attend you immediately.'
'I suppose,' muttered Gabriel, 'that's out of the 'Prentice's Garland or
the 'Prentice's Delight, or the 'Prentice's Warbler, or the Prentice's
Guide to the Gallows, or some such improving textbook.
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