gemman goes to throw anything away without my seeing it, I'll eat it, that's all." "The thing's morally unpossible," observed Mr. Tappem. "He an't the first noble gentleman we've had hold on by a pretty many." “These men have been tampered with!" exclaimed the gentleman in black, angrily. "What does he say?" cried Bagsby, "what! my friends Tappem and Grumps! I'll be bold enough to say that they are as worthy and honourable men, as any about the courts. A pretty sort of a thing it would be indeed, if honest. men's characters were to be at the mercy of a fellow like this! But I'll tell you what, gentlemen," ," he continued, whispering to the officers; "he's got plenty of money I know; and if I was in your place, I'd make him pay pretty handsomely, or bring an action against him. For (here he elevated his voice, and spoke as loud as possible) character-character, gentlemen, is every thing, "Who steals my purse, steals trash ;'tis something-nothing; Robs me of that which not enriches him, 66 Aye, aye," roared Grumps, strutting up to the gentleman in black, "who steals my purse, steals trash-but as for my good name, why, it has been-slave to thousands--what is it? I don't understand poetry. Howsomever, the short and the long of the business is, I shan't stand no nonsense; and so, if you don't make an apology "Ah, to be sure," said Tappem, "an apology, or else come down pretty handsome; why, look ye, Mr. Black-and-all-black! mayhap you may find you have met with your match, that's all. Ah, to be sure, he who filches from me my character, robs me of that which an't of no use to him nor nobody else, and it's a burning shame." The moment Tappem was silent, Grumps resumed; and the instant Grumps was silent, Tappem spoke; and sometimes both spoke together; and as they waxed warm, their language became more obscure and slangish; so that after a few minutes, the gentleman in black, who had in vain endeavoured to stop them, found it utterly impossible to tell what they were talking about, although he was himself strongly suspected of having lent a helping hand in the compilation of a "flash" dictionary. Bagsby having thus succeeded in making a diversion in favour of his client, helped himself to a glass of wine, rubbed his hands, smacked his lips, and indulged himself in a sort of cackling laugh, as he witnessed the perplexity of the black bond-holder; and then he put his fore-finger to the side of his nose, and winked and nodded at the Comte, and said, "Never fear, Sir! never fear! It's an ugly piece of business, but I have no doubt we shall be able to pull you through." The gentleman in black perceiving, by this time, that he had no chance of silencing the two orators of the handcuff, appealed to Mr. Crabseye; but that gentleman, assuming an air of hauteur, coldly observed that it was utterly out of his power to interfere; yet, that he could not help remarking, that gentlemen could not be too cautious in their remarks, and that all sorts of insinuations against men's characters, unless they could be substantiated by evidence, were highly improper; and he concluded by averring that, to his own belief and knowledge, Messrs. Tappem and Grumps were most highly respectable and honourable men. Hereupon the two gentlemen last mentioned, evinced their apарprobation by a simultaneous cry of “Aye, aye! and a moment after, the clock struck twelve. "Hurrah!" shouted Mr. Maxwell. "Bravo! bravissimo! very good!" exclaimed Comte Louis. "Tol lol de rol," squeaked Bagsby, apeing the gaiety of his companions, by snapping his fingers and holding up one of his shrivelled legs as if about to cut a caper. "I told you how it would be! said the gen tleman in black, addressing Crabseye. "Told me what?" inquired the inquisitor of bank notes. "It is of no use to search him now," observed the gentleman in black, sullenly. "I told you how it would be." "Told me what?" repeated Crabseye. "It's past twelve," was the reply. "He, he, he! ha, ha, ha!" chuckled Bagsby. "Ho, ho, ho! why, you don't understand the gentleman, Mr. Crabseye, he told you the clock would strike-ho, ho, ho! oh dear!" Here his cough interfered to prevent any farther remarks, |