Hocken and Hunken Author:Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 11 CHAPTER II. The Barber's Chair. "THIS is home!" Captain Cai settled himself down in the barber's chair with a sigh of luxurious content. " I've he... more »ard married men call it better," said Mr Toy, fetching forth a clean wrapper. "Very likely." The Captain sighed again contentedly. "I take no truck in marriage, for my part. A friend's company enough for me." "What's his name, Cap'n? The whole town's dyin' to know." " He's called Hunken—Tobias Hunken." The barber paused, snapping his scissors and nodding. " Bussa was right then, or Bussa and Philp between 'em." "Hey?" " 'Tis wonderful how news gets abroad in Troy. . . . ' Hunken,' now ? And where might he be one of ? I don't seem to fit the name in my mem'ry at all." " You wouldn't. He comes from t'other side of the Duchy — a Padstow - born man, and he've never set eyes on Troy in his life." "Yet he takes a house an' settles here? That's queer, as you might say." " I see nothing queer about it. He's my friend— that's why. And what's more, the Lord never put bowels into a better man." " He'll be a pleasure to shave, then," opined Mr Toy. " No, he won't; he wears his hair all over his face. Talkin' of that reminds me — when you've done croppin' me I want a clean shave." " Chin-beard an' all, Cap'n ?" " Take it off—take it off! 'Twas recommended to me against sore throat; but I never liked the thing nor the look of it." "Then there's one point, it seems, on which you an' your friend don't agree, sir?" The barber meant this facetiously, but Captain Cai considered it in all seriousness. " You're mistaken," he answered. " Between friends there's a give-an'-take, and until you understand that you don't understand friendship. 'Bias Hunken likes me to do as I choose, and I like 'Bias ...« less