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fight over the supper-table. I hate
rows but I hate scoundrels more and think
that had Munro, on discovering him with
the shirt on, just bruised and battered his
thievish face for ten minutes, he would scarce-
ly have gone pilfering into another boarding-
house, as he undoubtedly will. Brutality has
its uses sometimes. Billington says Derby
informed him that he kept a mistress some-
where. The fellow was idle, seemed to have
his time at his own lazy disposal. He wanted
Billington and Morris to descend and room with
him, which the former was disposed to do.
I don�t think Derby�s foraging for means to main-
tain his harlot in their wardrobe would have
resulted in much, as they admit. They are
still in debt to Mrs B. They came to me for
occasional quarters, for quotations, for suggestions,
criticisms, books &c � all well enough as far
as it goes, but the profit account isn�t on my
side; I get nothing from them intellectually.
Morris I like, he is kindly natured, gentle
and gentlemanly (barring Yankee localisms) but
he has twopenny ha�penny ways about him which
rile me into occasional antagonism, when he
gets it and thinks me savage and satirical.
Instance, the first evening we took him to Edward�s
he, on our returning home together raised some