Cecile 'ull die ef
she loses that purse."
Joe repeated these words over many times; in truth the poor boy was
almost in a transport of grief and despair. Anton, however, made no
reply whatever to this great burst of terrible sorrow, and waited
quietly until the paroxysm had spent itself, then he too sat down on
the grass.
"Listen, Joe," he said. "'Tis no use a-blubbering afore me, or
a-screaming hout afore me. Them things affects some folks, but they
never takes no rises out o' me. I may be 'ard. Likely enough I am.
Hanyhow hysterics don't go down with me. Joe Barnes--as that's the
name wot you was known by in England--I'm _determined_ to get
that 'ere purse. Now listen. Wot I has to say is short; wot I has to
say is plain; from wot I has now got to say--I'll never go back. I
lay three plans afore you, Joe Barnes. You can choose wot one you
like best. The first plan is this: as you and Cecile keeps the
purse, and I takes Maurice away wid me; you never see Maurice, nor
hears of him again; I sell him to yer old master whose address I has
in my pocket. That's the first plan. The second plan is this: that
Maurice comes back to his sister, and _you_ comes wid me, Joe. I
sells you once more to yer hold master, and he keeps yer
_tight_, and you has no more chance of running away. This seems
a sensible plan, and that 'ere little Cecile, as you sets sech store
by, can keep her purse and her brother too. Ef you does this, Joe
Barnes, there'll be no fear of Cecile dying--that's my second plan.
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