You’ll find us rough, sir, but you’ll find us ready.

The line contrasts outward manner with inward capability: “rough” signals plainness, lack of polish, or working-class directness, while “ready” asserts competence, courage, and willingness to act when needed. Addressing someone as “sir” adds a social edge—deference in form, but not in self-respect—suggesting a speaker who knows he may be judged by appearance or class yet insists on reliability. In Dickens’s world, such a sentiment often functions as a moral corrective to genteel prejudice: true worth is proven by steadiness and action rather than refinement. The quote thus celebrates practical readiness and integrity over social varnish.