'That chap, sir,' said John, taking it out again after a time, and
pointing at him with the stem, 'though he's got all his faculties
about him--bottled up and corked down, if I may say so, somewheres or
another--'
'Very good!' said Parkes, nodding his head. 'A very good expression,
Johnny. You'll be a tackling somebody presently. You're in twig
to-night, I see.'
'Take care,' said Mr Willet, not at all grateful for the compliment,
'that I don't tackle you, sir, which I shall certainly endeavour to do,
if you interrupt me when I'm making observations.--That chap, I was
a saying, though he has all his faculties about him, somewheres or
another, bottled up and corked down, has no more imagination than
Barnaby has. And why hasn't he?'
The three friends shook their heads at each other; saying by that
action, without the trouble of opening their lips, 'Do you observe what
a philosophical mind our friend has?'
'Why hasn't he?' said John, gently striking the table with his open
hand. 'Because they was never drawed out of him when he was a boy.
That's why. What would any of us have been, if our fathers hadn't drawed
our faculties out of us? What would my boy Joe have been, if I hadn't
drawed his faculties out of him?--Do you mind what I'm a saying of,
gentlemen?'
'Ah! we mind you,' cried Parkes.
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