CHAPTER XIX.
The Alarm.
Immediately after the departure of Mr.Stevens, Master Kinch began to consider the propriety of closing the establishment for the night.

Sliding down from the counter, where he had been seated, reflecting upon the strange conduct of his recent customer, he said, "I feels rather queer round about here," laying his hand upon his stomach; "and I'm inclined to think that some of them 'ere Jersey sausages and buckwheat cakes that the old man has been stuffing himself with, wouldn't go down slow.

Rather shabby in him not to come back, and let me go home, and have a slap at the wittles.

I expect nothing else, but that he has eat so much, that he's fell asleep at the supper-table, and won't wake up till bedtime.

He's always serving me that same trick." The old man thus alluded to was no other than Master Kinch's father, who had departed from the shop two or three hours previously, promising to return immediately after tea.
This promise appeared to have entirely faded from his recollection, as he was at that moment, as Kinch had supposed, fast asleep, and totally oblivious of the fact that such a person as his hungry descendant was in existence.
Having fully come to the conclusion to suspend operations for the evening, Kinch made two or three excursions into the street, returning each time laden with old hats, coats, and shoes.