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IX
Dicky came moodily back from his dinner at Mr. Weech's, plunged in mystified computation: starting with a debt of twopence, he had paid Mr. Weech an excellent clock—a luxurious article in Dicky's eyes—had eaten a bloater, and had emerged from the transaction owing threepence half-penny. Of what such a clock cost he had no notion, though he felt it must be some inconceivable sum. As Mr. Weech put it the adjustment of accounts would seem to be quite correct; but the broad fact that all had ended in increasing his debt by three half-pence, remained and perplexed him. He remembered having seen such clocks in a shop in Norton Folgate. To ask the
90
