with his straw in his mouth, mr. cruncher sat watching the two streams, like the heathen rustic who has for several centuries been on duty watching one stream saving that jerry had no expectation of their ever running dry. nor would it have been an expectation of a hopeful kind, since a small part of his income was derived from the pilotage of timid women (mostly of a full habit and past the middle term of life) from tellson's side of the tides to the opposite shore. brief as such companionship was in every separate instance, mr. cruncher never failed to become so interested in the lady as to express a strong desire to have the honour of drinking her very good health. and it was from the gifts bestowed upon him towards the execution of this benevolent purpose, that he recruited his finances, as just now observed.