Portland takes ye willin', whether ye likes it or not, an' keeps ye so fond that ye can't git away nohow.

Oncommon 'ospitable Portland be!" And he broke into a harsh laugh.

Then he glanced at Helmsley again with a more confiding and favourable eye.
"Ye seems a 'spectable sort," he said.

"What's wrong wi' ye?
Out o' work ?" Helmsley nodded.
"Turned off, eh?
Too old ?" "That's about it!" he answered.
"Well, ye do look a bit of a shivery-shake,--a kind o' not-long-for-this-world," said the man.

"Howsomiver, we'se be all 'elpless an' 'omeless soon, for the Lord hisself don't stop a man growin' old, an' under the new ways o' the world, it's a reg'lar crime to run past forty.