Tittle-Tattle

Tittle-tattle! Me, indeed!
Me accused of tittle-tattle!
With the quiet life I lead!
Me! Allow me tongue to rattle?
’Ealthy mind means silent tongue,
So I was taught when I was young.

If I spoke of wot I saw
Where’s the need to talk of scandal,
An’ make threats about the law?
Never was I one to ’andle
Truth without a doo respec’.
Tittle-tattle? Ho, wot nex’?

It jist ’appened I was walkin’
By ’er ’ouse — I s’pose I can—
When I seen ’er standin’ talkin’
To a ’ansom, strange young man.
“Ho,” thinks I, “Oh, ho” thinks I,
“There’ll be trouble by and by.”

Well, you know ’er repitation —
I ain’t sayin’ nothin’, mind —
But I ’old with that quotation,
“Speak of people as you find.”
Married? Yes. But does she care?
I’ve ’eard more than whispers there.

Married? yes. But wot of flirtin’?
Scand’lous talk I don’t desire,
But I ain’t above assertin’
Where there’s smoke there’s allus fire.
An’ ’er ’usband, as I knoo,
Was a jealous feller, too.

As I told you, I was strollin’,
By ’er gate — it ain’t no lies —
When I see ’er eyes a rollin’,
(You know ’ow she works them eyes)
Ogling ’im an’ smilin’ sweet
Right there in the very street.