She looked lovelier than ever. He was overwhelmed, and rena," said De Walstein. "I found myself irresistibly attempted to make his apologies. devoted to you from the first memorable evening of our "Count de Walstein," said the Prince, "Catharena has meeting in the Imperial palace. The passion which lost told me of the service which you rendered to her in that Mark Antony the world, threw me first into despair, and city of barbarians. It was immeasurable; and we have then into frenzy. In Vienna I must be hopeless. In - found ourselves only too happy in the opportunity to repay Paris I might achieve a new rank, unthought of by the only a small part of the obligation. You are now in my haughty policy of my country. If I erred, it was for you. palace, which I beg you to consider as perfectly at your I resolved to be distinguished. The passion for power service while you think proper." never was fed by such magnificent stimulants as in France.

"Monsieur Regnier," said Catharena, approaching him The throne would have fallen of itself; and the bold hands with a smile, "probably regrets that he saved the life of an that combined to plunder it, scarcely more than anticipated aristocrat; but his recovery was the only thing wanting to the work of time. I bound myself never to come into our pleasure; and now we must leave him to his medita- your presence-never to write, speak, nor, if possible, think tions." of you-until I could come possessing the highest rank of "Princess," exclaimed De Walstein, "let the name of successful enterprise, and lay my trophies at the feet of Regnier be forgotten with his frenzy. I feel like one the only woman whom I ever truly loved. But the day emerged from the tomb. My life is due to your care. It of the Tuilleries changed me at once; and this scar on my would now be worthless without your friendship." forehead, from the knife of the ruffian from whom I resExplanations followed. The sudden abandonment of cued you, is my only trophy of the Revolution. I could Vienna by the Count had excited universal surprise; but not have a prouder one-"

all inquiry was found to be hopeless; and after the wonder "And now," said the general, "that we may not be deof a week it died away. But there was one to whom it nounced by some of the police spies for a conspiracy was a source of deeper anxiety; and she brooded over it against Prince Metternich or the Emperor of the Moon, I with feelings of that strange and sleepless interest which think that we had better separate for the night. Storyshe had felt for the first time, and which have prompted telling is not quite a matter of impunity on this side of the half the wildest or noblest actions of human kind. She Alps, any more than it is on the other. But if you wish remembered Tarare; and when she heard that an extraor- to confirm the facts, you have only to ride over with me dinary man, of whom none knew the origin or the country, to-morrow morning to Chateau Erlach, exactly three had started to the foremost rank of popular admiration in leagues off, where you shall have hunting for a week, or Paris; that his enthusiasm was of the loftiest order, his for a month, if you like. I will show half-a-dozen as fine imagination a flame, and his eloquence a rapture, she be- girls and boys as any in the Austrian dominions, with as came more and more convinced that she had discovered handsome a mother at the head of them; and if you are the fugitive. She found the family of the Austrian am- not content with seeing the Princess Catharena Zadorinski, bassador returning to France, and became the guest of her I will show you General Count de Walstein."

MASTER HUMPHREY'S CLOCK.

CHAPTER XXXV.

unhappy relative, the daughter of Maria Theresa. But public events had become so trying at this period, that all her feelings were absorbed in the perils of the royal family. The name of Regnier was even a source of bitter disappointment to her; for she never heard it pronounced in the circle of the Court but with some indignant remark at his power over the populace, and his fatal use of that power. On the terrible 10th of August, she had deter. Mr. Brass, on returning home, received the report of his mined to abandon Paris, and was in the act of setting out clerk with much complacency and satisfaction, and was to return, hopeless and heart-sick, to Germany, when the particular in inquiring after the ten-pound note, which, sight of the Sections marching to the assault of the palace, proving on examination to be a good and lawful note of made her resolve to stay and perish with the Queen. She the Governor and Company of the Bank of England, insaw from the balcony Regnier riding at the head of his creased his good humour considerably. Indeed, he so terrible column, and recognised him at once. In the overflowed with liberality and condescension, that in the agony of the moment, she longed that it might be her last. fulness of his heart he invited Mr. Swiveller to partake of All doubt was now at an end. Seeing with the quick sa- a bowl of punch with him at that remote and indefinite gacity of woman, that the monarchy was lost, she was period which is currently denominated “one of these approaching the royal apartments to share the fate of its days," and paid him many handsome compliments on the inmates, when the armed multitude burst in. All that uncommon aptitude for business which his conduct on the followed passed before her eyes with the rapidity, but the first day of his devotion to it had so plainly evinced. confusion, of vision. She saw a tumult; she heard It was a maxim with Mr. Brass that the habit of paying fierce voices; she saw dreadful visages; and from the compliments kept a man's tongue oiled without any exmidst of them all she saw the still more dreaded Regnier pense; and, as that useful member ought never to grow spring forward and kneel at the royal feet. The rest was rusty or creak in turning on its hinges in the case of a all struggle, firing, the sight of slaughter, and the sounds practitioner of the law, in whom it should be always glib of the dying. Rescued by De Walstein, Regnier no more, and easy, he lost few opportunities of improving himself she had fainted in the throng of massacre; and when she by the utterance of handsome speeches and eulogistic exopened her eyes, found herself flung among a mass of dead, pressions. And this had passed into such a habit with him with her rescuer insensible by her side. that, if he could not be correctly said to have his tongue

"I thought you past away from the goods and evils of at his fingers' ends, he might certainly be said to have this earth," said Catharena; "yet I will acknowledge that, it any where but in his face; which, being, as we have believing myself to be only awaiting the next dagger of already seen, of a hard and repulsive character, was not the mob to follow you, I felt a weight taken from my oiled so easily, but frowned above all the smooth speeches; heart, by knowing that you died in the cause of loyalty; one of Nature's beacons, warning off those who navigated that you were the Hungarian noble once more; and that, the shoals and breakers of the world, or of that dangerwith your last breath, you had abjured the infatuation of ous strait, the law, and admonishing them to seek less popular fame." treacherous harbours and try their fortune elsewhere. While Mr. Brass by turns overwhelmed his clerk with

"That infatuation was your unconscious work, Catha

compliments and inspected the ten-pound note, Miss Sally ing down his pen; "really, very remarkable, Mr. Richard, showed little emotion and that of no pleasurable kind; for you'll remember, if this gentleman should be found to have as the tendency of her legal practice had been to fix her hung himself to the bed-post, or any unpleasant accident of thoughts on small gains and gripings, and to whet and that kind should happen-you'll remember Mr. Richard, that sharpen her natural wisdom, she was not a little disap- this ten-pound note was given to you in part payment of pointed that the single gentleman had obtained the lodg- two years' rent? You'll bear that in mind, Mr. Richard; ings at such an easy rate, arguing that, when he was seen you had better make a note of it, sir, in case you should to have set his mind upon them, he should have been ever be called upon to give evidence." charged double or treble the usual terms, and that, in exact Mr. Swiveller took a large sheet of foolscap, and with a proportion as he pressed forward, Mr. Swiveller should countenance of profound gravity, began to make a very have hung back. But neither the good opinion of Mr. small note in one corner.

Brass nor the dissatisfaction of Sally wrought any impres- "We can never be too cautious," said Mr. Brass. sion upon that young gentleman, who, throwing the re-" There is a deal of wickedness going on about the world, sponsibility of this and all other acts and deeds thereafter a deal of wickedness. Did the gentleman happen to say, to be done by him upon his unlucky destiny, was quite sir-but never mind that at present, sir; finish that little resigned and comfortable; fully prepared for the worst, memorandum first." and philosophically indifferent to the best.

"Good morning, Mr. Richard," said Brass, on the second day of Mr. Swiveller's clerkship. "Sally found you a second-hand stool, sir, yesterday evening in Whitechapel. She's a rare fellow at a bargain, I can tell you, Mr. Richard. You'll find that a first rate stool, sir, take my word for it."

"Its rather a crazy one to look at," said Dick.

"You'll find it a most amazing stool to sit down upon, you may depend," returned Mr. Brass. "It was bought in the open street just opposite the hospital, and as it has been standing there a month or two, it has got rather dusty and a little brown from being in the sun, that's all." "I hope it hasn't got any fevers or any thing of that sort in it," said Dick, sitting himself down discontentedly between Mr. Sampson and the chaste Sally. "One of the legs is longer than the others."

"Then we get a bit of timber in, sir," retorted Brass. "Ha, ha, ha! We get a bit of timber in, sir, and that's another advantage of my sister's going to market for us. Miss Brass, Mr. Richard is the-"

"Will you keep quiet?" interrupted the fair subject of these remarks, looking up from her papers. "How am I to work if you keep on chattering?"

"What an uncertain chap you are!" returned the lawyer. "Sometimes you're all for a chat. At another time you're all for work. A man never knows what humour he'll find you in."

"I'm in a working humour now," said Sally, "so don't disturb me if you please. And don't take him"-Miss Sally pointed with the feather of her pen to Richard-" off his business. He won't do more than he can help, I dare say."

Dick did so, and handed it to Mr. Brass, who had dismounted from his stool and was walking up and down the office.

66

"Oh, this is the memorandum, is it?" said Brass, running his eye over the document. Very good. Now, Mr. Richard, did the gentleman say any thing else?" No."

"

"Are you sure, Mr. Richard," said Brass, solemnly,
that the gentleman said nothing else."
"Devil a word, sir," replied Dick.

"Think again, sir," said Brass, "it's my duty, sir, in the position in which I stand, and as an honourable member of the legal profession, the first profession in this country, sir, or in any other country, or in any of the places that shine above at night, and are supposed to be inhabited-it's my duty, sir, as an honourable member of that profession, not to put to you a leading question in a matter of this delicacy and importance. Did the gentle man, sir, who took the first floor of you yesterday afternoon, and who brought with him a box of property-a box of property-say any thing more than is set down in this memorandum ?"

"Did he say, for instance," added Brass, in a kind of comfortable, cozy tone-"I don't assert that he did say so, mind; I only ask you to refresh your memory-did he Mr. Brass had evidently a strong inclination to make an say, for instance, that he was a stranger in London-that angry reply, but was deterred by prudent or timid con- it was not his humour or within his ability to give re siderations, as he only muttered something about aggra- ference-that he felt we had a right to require them-and vation, and a vagabond; not associating the terms with that, in case any thing should happen to him, at any time, any individual, mentioning them as connected with some he particularly desired that whatever property he had upon abstract ideas which happened to occur to him. They the premises should be considered mine, as some slight went on writing for a long time in silence after this-in recompense for the trouble and annoyance I should sustain such a dull silence that Mr. Swiveller (who required ex--and were you, in short," added Brass, still more comcitement) had several times fallen asleep and written divers fortably and cozily than before, "were you induced to strange words in an unknown character with his eyes accept him on my behalf, as a tenant, upon those condishut, when Miss Sally at length broke in upon the mono- tions?" tony of the office, by pulling out the little tin box, taking a noisy pinch of snuff, and then expressing her opinion that Mr. Richard Swiveller had "done it."

"Done what, ma'am?" said Richard.

"Do you know," returned Miss Brass, "that the lodger isn't up yet-that nothing has been seen or heard of him since he went to bed yesterday afternoon?"

แ

Well, ma'am," said Dick, "I suppose he may sleep his ten-pound out in peace and quietness, if he likes." "Ah! I begin to think he'll never wake," observed Miss Sally.

Certainly not," replied Dick.

Why then, Mr. Richard," said Brass, darting at him a supercilious and reproachful look, "it's my opinion that you have mistaken your calling, and will never make a lawyer."

"Not if you live a thousand years," added Miss Sally. Whereupon the brother and sister took each a noisy pinch of snuff from the little tin box, and fell into a gloomy thoughtfulness.

Nothing further passed up to Mr. Swiveller's dinnertime, which was three o'clock, and seemed about three "It's a very remarkable circumstance," said Brass, lay-weeks in coming. At the first stroke of the hour, the new

clerk disappeared. At the last stroke of five, he reap- street, and finding that nobody followed him, armed with peared, and the office, as if by magic, became fragrant a poker or other offensive weapon, put his hands in his with the smell of gin and water and lemon-peel.

"Mr. Richard," said Brass, "this man's not up yet. Nothing will wake him, sir. What's to be done?"

"I should let him have his sleep out," returned Dick. "Sleep out!" cried Brass; "why he has been asleep now, six-and-twenty hours. We have been moving chests of drawers over his head, we have knocked double knocks at the street door, we have made the servant-girl fall down stairs several times, (she's a light weight, and it don't hurt her much,) but nothing wakes him."

66

Perhaps a ladder," suggested Dick," and getting in at the first floor window-"

"But then there's a door between; besides, the neighbourhood would be up in arms," said Brass.

"What do you say to getting on the roof of the house through the trap-door, and dropping down the chimney?" "That would be an excellent plan," said Brass, "if any. body would be-" and here he looked very hard at Mr. Swiveller-"would be kind, and friendly, and generous enough, to undertake it. I dare say it would not be any thing like as disagreeable as one supposes."

pockets, walked very slowly all at once, and whistled. Meanwhile Mr. Swiveller, on the top of the stool, drew himself into as flat a shape as possible against the wall, and looked, not unconcernedly, down upon the single gentleman, who appeared at the door growling and cursing in a very awful manner, and, with the boots in his hand, seemed to have an intention of hurling them down stairs on speculation. This idea, however, he abandoned, and he was turning into his room again, still growling vengefully, when his eyes met those of the watchful Richard.

"Have you been making that horrible noise?" said the single gentleman.

"I have been helping, sir," returned Dick, keeping his eye upon him, and waving the ruler gently in his right hand, as an indication of what the single gentleman had to expect if he attempted any violence.

"How dare you, then ?" said the lodger, "Eh?" To this, Dick made no other reply than by inquiring whether the lodger held it to be consistent with the conduct and character of a gentleman to go to sleep for six-andtwenty hours at a stretch, and whether the peace of an amiable and virtuous family was to weigh as nothing in the balance.

Dick had made the suggestion, thinking the duty might possibly fall within Miss Sally's department. As he said nothing further, and declined taking the hint, Mr. Brass "Is my peace nothing?" said the single gentleman. was fain to propose that they should go up sairs together, "Is their peace nothing, sir ?" returned Dick. "I don't and make a last effort to awaken the sleeper by some less wish to hold out any threats, sir,—indeed, the law does violent means, which if they failed on this last trial, must not allow of threats, for to threaten is an indictable offence positively be succceded by stronger measures. Mr. Swi--but if ever you do that again, take care you're not sat veller, assenting, armed himself with his stool and the upon by the coroner and buried in a cross-road before you large ruler, and repaired with his employer to the scene of wake. We have been distracted with fears that you were action, where Miss Brass was already ringing a hand-bell dead, sir," said Dick, gently sliding to the ground, "and with all her might, and yet without producing the smallest the short and the long of it is, that we cannot allow single effect upon their mysterious lodger. gentlemen to come into this establishment and sleep like double gentlemen without paying extra for it." "Indeed!" cried the lodger.

"There are his boots, Mr. Richard," said Brass.

Very obstinate looking articles they are too," quoth Richard Swiveller. And truly they were as sturdy and bluff a pair of boots as one would wish to see; as firmly planted on the ground as if their owner's legs and feet had been in them, and seeming, with their broad soles and blunt toes, to hold possession of their place by main force. "I can't see any thing but the curtain of the bed," said Brass, applying his eye to the keyhole of the door. he a strong man, Mr. Richard ?"

64

Very," answered Dick.

Is

"Yes, sir, indeed," returned Dick, yielding to his destiny and saying whatever came uppermost; an equal quantity of slumber was never got out out of one bed and bedstead, and if you're going to sleep in that way, you may pay for a double-bedded room."

Instead of being thrown into a great passion by these remarks, the lodger relapsed into a broad grin and looked at Mr. Swiveller with twinkling eyes. He was a brownfaced, sunburnt man, and appeared browner and more "It would be an extremely unpleasant circumstance if sunburnt from having a white nightcap on. As it was clear he was to bounce out suddenly," said Brass. Keep the that he was a choleric fellow in some respects, Mr. Swistairs clear. I should be more than a match for him of veller was relieved to find him in such good humour, and course, but I am the master of the house, and the laws of to encourage him in it, smiled himself. hospitality must be respected. Hallo, there! Hallo, hallo!" The lodger, in the testiness of being so rudely roused, While Mr. Brass, with his eye curiously twisted into had pushed his nightcap very much on one side of his bald the keyhole, uttered these sounds as a means of attracting head. This gave him a rakish, eccentric air which, now the lodger's attention, and while Miss Brass plied the that he had leisure to observe it, charmed Mr. Swiveller hand-bell, Mr. Swiveller put his stool close against the wall exceedingly; therefore, by way of propitiation, he exby the side of the door, and mounting on the top and pressed the hope that the gentleman was going to get up, standing bolt upright, so that if the lodger did make a and further that he would never do so any more. rush, he would most probably pass him in its onward fury, "Come here, you impudent rascal," was the lodger's began a violent battery with the ruler upon the upper answer as he re-entered his room. panels of the door. Captivated with his own ingenuity, and confident in the strength of his position, which he had taken up after the method of those hardy individuals who open the pit and gallery doors of theatres on crowded nights, Mr. Swiveller rained down such a shower of blows that the noise of the bell was drowned; and the small servant who lingered on the stairs below, ready to fly at a moment's notice, was obliged to hold her ears lest she should be rendered deaf for life.

Mr. Swiveller followed him in, leaving the stool outside, but reserving the ruler in case of surprise. He rather congratulated himself upon his prudence when the single gentleman, without notice or explanation of any kind, double-locked the door.

"Can you drink any thing?" was his next inquiry. Mr. Swiveller replied that he had very recently been assuaging the pangs of thirst, but that he was still open to a modest quencher," if the materials were at hand. Suddenly the door was unlocked on the inside and flung Without another word spoken on either side, the lodger violently open. The small servant fled to the coal cellar-took from his great trunk a kind of temple, shining as of Miss Sally dived into her own bedroom; Mr. Brass, who polished silver, and placed it carefully on the table. was not remarkable for personal courage, ran into the next Greatly interested in his proceedings, Mr. Swiveller obMUSEUM-NOVEMBER, 1840. 44

served him closely. Into one little chamber of this temple the wishes and character of the single gentleman, and he dropped an egg, into another some coffee, into a poetically as concerned the great trunk, of which he gave third a compact piece of raw steak from a neat tin case, a description more remarkable for brilliancy of imagination into a fourth he poured some water. Then, with the aid than a strict adherence to truth; declaring, with many. of a phosphorus box and some matches, he procured a light strong asseverations, that it contained a specimen of every and applied it to a spirit-lamp which had a place of its kind of rich food and wine, known in these times, and in own below the temple; then he shut down the lids of all particular that it was of a self-acting kind and served up the little chambers, then he opened them; and then, by whatever was required, as he supposed by clock-work. He some wonderful and unseen agency, the steak was done, also gave them to understand that the cooking apparatus the egg was boiled, the coffee was accurately prepared, and roasted a fine piece of sirloin of beef weighing about six his breakfast was ready. pounds avoirdupois, in two minutes and a quarter, as he had himself witnessed, and proved by his sense of taste: and further that, however the effect was produced, he had distinctly seen water boil and bubble up when the single gentleman winked; from which facts he (Mr. Swiveller) was led to infer that the lodger was some great conjuror or chemist, or both, whose residence under that roof could not fail at some future day to shed great credit and distinction upon the name of Brass, and add a new interest to the history of Bevis Marks.

"Hot water-" said the lodger, handing it to Mr. Swiveller with as much coolness as if he had a kitchen fire before him "extraordinary rum-sugar-and a travelling glass. Mix for yourself. And make haste."

Dick complied, his eyes wandering all the time from the temple on the table which seemed to do every thing, to the great trunk which seemed to hold every thing. The lodger took his breakfast like a man who was used to work these miracles, and thought nothing of them.

"The man of the house is a lawyer, is he not?" said the lodger.

Dick nodded. The rum was amazing.
"The woman of the house-what's she?"
"A dragon," said Dick.

The single gentleman, perhaps because he had met with such things in his travels, or perhaps because he was a single gentleman, evinced no surprise, but merely inquired "Wife or sister?" 66 Sister," said Dick-" So much the better," said the single gentleman, "he can get rid of her when he likes."

"I want to do as I like, young man," he added after a short silence; "to go to bed when I like, to get up when I like, come in when I like, go out when I like to be asked no questions and be surrounded by no spies. In this last respect, servants are the devil. There's only one

here."

"And a very little one," said Dick.

There was one point which Mr. Swiveller deemed it unnecessary to enlarge upon, and that was the fact of the modest quencher, which by reason of its intrinsic strength and its coming close upon the heels of the temperate beverage he had discussed at dinner, awakened a slight degree of fever, and rendered necessary two or three other modest quenchers at the public house in the course of the evening.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

As the single gentleman, after some weeks' occupation of his lodgings, still declined to correspond by word or gesture either with Mr. Brass or his sister Sally, he invariably chose Richard Swiveller as his channel of communication; and as he proved himself in all respects a highly desirable inmate, paying for every thing before

"And a very little one," repeated the lodger. "Well, hand, giving very little trouble, making no noise, and the place will suit me, will it ?"

Yes," said Dick.

"Sharks, I suppose ?" said the lodger.

Dick nodded his assent, and drained his glass.

66

keeping early hours; Mr. Richard imperceptibly rose to an important position in the family, as one who had influence over this mysterious lodger, and could negotiate with him, for good or for evil, when nobody else durst approach his person.

Let them know my humour," said the single gentleman, rising. If they disturb me, they lose a good tenant. If the truth must be told, even Mr. Swiveller's approaches If they know me to be that, they know enough. If they to the single gentleman were of a very distant kind, and try to know more, its a notice to quit. It's better to un-met with small encouragement; but as he never returned derstand these things at once. Good day." from a monosyllabic conference with the unknown, without

"I beg your pardon," said Dick, halting in his passage quoting such expressions as "Swiveller, I know I can rely to the door, which the lodger prepared to open. "When upon you," "I have no hesitation in saying, Swivelhe who adores thee has left but the name'-" ler, that I entertain a regard for you"-"Swiveller you "What do you mean?" are my friend and will stand by me, I am sure," with

"But the name," said Dick-" has left but the name- many other short speeches of the same familiar and conin case of letters or parcels-”

"I never have any," returned the lodger. "Or in case any body should call."

"Nobody ever calls on me."

"If any mistake should arise from not having the name, don't say it was my fault, sir," added Dick, still lingering. "Oh blame not the bard'-"

fiding kind, purporting to have been addressed by the single gentleman to himself, and to form the staple of their ordinary discourse, neither Mr. Brass nor Miss Sally for a moment questioned the extent of his influence, but accorded to him their fullest and most unqualified belief.

But quite apart from and independent of this source of popularity, Mr. Swiveller had another, which promised to be equally enduring, and to lighten his position con

"I'll blame nobody," said the lodger, with such irascibility that in a moment Dick found himself upon the stair-siderably. case, and the locked door between them.

He found favour in the eyes of Miss Sally Brass. Let Mr. Brass and Miss Sally were lurking hard by, having not the light scorners of female fascination erect their been, indeed, only routed from the keyhole by Mr. Swivel- ears to listen to a new tale of love which shall serve them ler's abrupt exit. As their utmost exertions had not for a jest; for Miss Brass, however accurately formed to enabled them to overhear a word of the interview, however, be beloved, was not of the loving kind. That amiable in consequence of a quarrel for precedence, which, though virgin having clung to the skirts of the law from her limited of necessity to punches and pinches and such quiet earliest youth, having sustained herself by their aid, as it pantomime, had lasted the whole time, they hurried him were, in her first running alone, and maintained a firm down to the office to hear his account of the conversation. grasp upon them ever since, had passed her life in a kind This, Mr. Swiveller gave them-faithfully as regarded of legal childhood. She had been remarkable, when a

tender prattler, for an uncommon talent in counterfeiting "a love-child," (which means any thing but a child of love,) the walk and manner of a bailiff; in which character she and that was all the information Richard Swiveller could had learned to tap her little play-fellows on the shoulder, obtain.

and to carry them off to imaginary sponging-houses, with "It's of no use asking the dragon," thought Dick one a correctness of imitation which was the surprise and day, as he sat contemplating the features of Miss Sally delight of all who witnessed her performances, and which Brass. "I suspect if I asked any questions on that head, was only to be exceeded by her exquisite manner of putting our alliance would be at an end. I wonder whether she an execution into her doll's house, and taking an exact is a dragon by the bye, or something in the mermaid way. inventory of the chairs and tables. These artless sports She has rather a scaly appearance. But mermaids are had naturally soothed and cheered the decline of her fond of looking at themselves in the glass, which she can't widowed father; a most exemplary gentleman, (called be. And they have a habit of combing their hair, which Old Foxey' by his friends, from his extreme sagacity,) she hasn't. No, she's a dragon." who encouraged them to the utmost, and whose chief regret on finding that he drew near to Houndsditch churchyard was, that his daughter could not take out an attorney's certificate and hold a place upon the roll. Filled with this affectionate and touching sorrow, he had solemnly confided her to his son Sampson as an invaluable auxiliary; and from the old gentleman's decease to the period of which we treat, Miss Sally Brass had been the prop and pillar of his business.

"Where are you going, old fellow ?" said Dick aloud, as Miss Sally wiped her pen as usual on the green dress, and uprose from her seat.

"To dinner," answered the dragon.
"To dinner!" thought Dick,

that's another circumstance. I don't believe that small servant has ever any thing to eat."

66

Saminy won't be home," said Miss Brass. "Stop till I come back. I shan't be long."

It is obvious that, having devoted herself from infancy Dick nodded and followed Miss Brass with his eyes to this one pursuit and study, Miss Brass could know but to the door, and with his ears to a little back parlour, little of the world, otherwise than in connection with the where she and her brother took their meals. law; and that, from a lady gifted with such high tastes, "Now," said Dick, walking up and down with his hands proficiency in those gentler and softer arts in which women in his pockets, "I'd give something—if I had it—to know usually excel, was scarcely to be looked for. Miss Sally's how they use that child, and where they keep her. My accomplishments were all of a masculine and strictly legal mother must have been a very inquisitive woman, I have kind. They began with the practice of an attorney and no doubt I'ın mark'd with a note of interrogation somethey ended with it. She was in a state of lawful innocence, where. My feelings I smother, but thou hast been the so to speak. The law had been her nurse, and, as bandy- cause of this anguish m'-upon my word," said Mr. legs or such physical deformities in childhood are held to Swiveller, checking himself and falling thoughtfully into be the consequence of bad nursing, so, if in a mind so the client's chair, “I should like to know how they use beautiful and moral, twist or bandiness could be found, her?" Miss Sally Brass's nurse was alone to blame.

After running on in this way for some time, Mr. SwivelIt was upon this lady, then, that Mr. Swiveller burst in ler softly opened the door with the intention of darting full freshness as something new and hitherto undreamed across the street for a glass of the mild porter. At that of lighting up the office with scraps of song and mer-moment he caught a parting glimpse of the brown headriment, conjuring with inkstands and boxes of wafers, dress of Miss Brass flitting down the kitchen stairs. catching three oranges in one hand, balancing stools upon "And by Jove!" thought Dick, "she's going to feed the his chin and penknives on his nose, and constantly per-scrvant. Now or never!"

forming a hundred other feats of equal ingenuity; for with First peeping over the handrail and allowing the headsuch unbendings did Richard, in Mr. Brass's absence, dress to disappear in the darkness below, he groped his relieve the tedium of his confinement. These social qua-way down and arrived at the door of a back kitchen imlitics, which Miss Sally first discovered by accident, gra-mediately after Miss Brass had entered the same, bearing dually made such an impression upon her, that she would in her hand a cold leg of mutton. It was a very dark and entreat Mr. Swiveller to relax as though she were not by, miserable place, very low, and very damp, the walls diswhich Mr. Swiveller, nothing loth, would readily consent figured by a thousand rents and blotches. The water was to do. By these means a friendship sprung up between trickling out of a leaky butt, and a most wretched cat was them. Mr. Swiveller gradually came to look upon her as lapping up the drops with the sickly eagerness of starvation. her brother Sampson did, and as he would have looked The grate, which was a wide one, was wound and screwed upon any other clerk. He imparted to her the mystery of up tight, so as to hold no more than a little thin sandwich going the odd man or plain New-market for fruit, ginger- of fire. Every thing was locked up; the coal-cellar, the beer, baked potatoes, or even a modest quencher, of which candle-box, the salt-box, the meat-safe, were all padlocked. Mr. Brass did not scruple to partake. He would often There was nothing that a beetle could have lunched upon. persuade her to undertake his share of writing in addition The pinched and meagre aspect of the place would have to her own; nay, he would sometimes reward her with a killed a chameleon. He would have known at the first hearty slap on the back, and protest that she was a devilish mouthful that the air was not eatable, and must have good fellow, a jolly dog, and so forth; all of which com- given up the ghost in despair. The small servant stood pliments Miss Sally would receive in entire good part and with humility in presence of Miss Sally, and hung her with perfect satisfaction. head.

"Are you there ?" said Miss Sally.

"Yes ma'am," was the answer in a weak voice. "Go further away from the leg of mutton or you'll be picking it, I know," said Miss Sally.

One circumstance troubled Mr. Swiveller's mind very much, and that was that the small servant remained in the bowels of the earth, under Bevis Marks, and never came to the surface unless the single gentleman rang his bell, when he would answer it and immediately disappear again. The girl withdrew into a corner, while Miss Brass took She never went out, or came into the office, or had a clean a key from her pocket, and opening the safe, brought from face, or took off the coarse apron, or looked out of any of it a dreary waste of cold potatoes, looking as eatable as the windows, or stood at the street-door for a breath of air, Stonehenge. This she placed before the small servant, er had any rest or enjoyment whatever. Nobody ever ordering her to sit down before it, and then, taking up a cam to see her, nobody spoke of her, nobody cared about great carving-knife, made a mighty show of sharpening it her. Mr. Brass had said once, that he believed she was upon the carving-fork.