But what amount of brandy and water would have enabled him to persevere, could he have dreamed that John Crumb was near him? On a sudden he found a hand on his coat, and he was swung violently away, and brought with his back against the railings so forcibly as to have the breath almost knocked out of his body. But he could hear Ruby's exclamation, "If it isn't John Crumb!" Then there came upon him a sense of coming destruction, as though the world for him were all over; and, collapsing throughout his limbs, he slunk down upon the ground.
"Get up, you wiper," said John Crumb. But the baronet thought it better to cling to the ground. "You sholl get up," said John, taking him by the collar of his coat and lifting him. "Now, Ruby, he's a-going to have it," said John. Whereupon Ruby screamed at the top of her voice, with a shriek very much louder than that which had at first attracted John Crumb's notice.
[Illustration: "Get up, you wiper."]

But could he have dreamed that John Crumb was near him? Suddenly he found a hand on his coat, and he was swung violently away against the railings so forcibly as to have the breath almost knocked out of his body. He could hear Ruby's exclamation, "If it isn't John Crumb!"
Then there came upon him a sense of coming destruction, as though the world for him were all over; and, collapsing, he slunk down upon the ground.
"Get up, you viper," said John Crumb. But the baronet thought it better to cling to the ground. "You sholl get up," said John, lifting him by his collar. "Now, Ruby, he's a-going to have it." Whereupon Ruby screamed at the top of her voice, much more loudly than before.
