fluential situation under government | comfortably settled, and for some ten was within his reach. But, alas! this years yet to come and unexpired, at last overwhelming misfortune-how Botany Bay! This was the indivicould he possibly evade or surmount dual,. it may be recollected, whose it? What human ingenuity or intre-execrable breach of trust, when a clerk pidity could avail to extricate him of Mr Parkinson's at Grilston, had led from the consequences of his insane to Mr Quirk's discovery of the inavowal to Miss Aubrey- and his firmity in Mr Aubrey's title. The counter-statements to the Duke of fact was, that Mr Steggars had quitted Tantallan and Miss Macspleuchan-England, as the reader may recollect, to say nothing of the Earl of Dred- horribly disgusted with Mr Quirk's dlington? He resolved to risk it-to conduct towards him; and had also rely on his own resources, and the subsequently experienced some little chapter of accidents. The mere pre- remorse on account of his own mean sence of difficulty strung his nerves to and cruel conduct towards a disencounter it. He resolved to rely on tinguished gentleman and his family, the impossibility of fixing him directly none of whom had ever given him the with a knowledge of the rottenness of slightest pretext for hostility or reTitmouse's pretensions at all events, venge. He had contrived to make till a period considerably subsequent his feelings upon the subject known to the trial, and Titmouse's marriage to an official individual at Botany with the Lady Cecilia. It occurred Bay, who had given him an opportuto him, as calculated, moreover, to aid nity of explaining matters fully to his contemplated movements, if he the authorities at home-the princicould find a fair pretext for throwing pal of whom, the Home Secretaryoverboard his partners, especially Mr had been, and indeed continued to be, Quirk, satisfied that his own uniform a warm personal friend of Mr Aucaution had prevented him from com- brey's. This minister caused inquimitting himself to them, or at least ries to be made concerning Steggars' deprived them of means of proving it. behaviour while abroad, which were He soon met with an opportunity, of so satisfactorily answered, as to prowhich he promptly availed himself. cure a remission of the remainder of his sentence, just as he was entering upon his fourth year's service at Botany Bay. Immediately on his return, which had taken place only a few days before the commencement of Michaelmas term, he sought out Mr Aubrey's attorneys, Messrs Runnington, and put them fully in possession of all the facts of the case, relating to Mr Quirk's grossly dishonourable conduct in obtaining and acting upon a knowledge of the supposed defect in Mr Aubrey's title. Upon Mr Quirk's coming alongside of this gentleman, and looking at him with an anxious inquisitiveness, he encountered a fearfully significant glance-and then Mr Steggars, in a pointed and abrupt manner, crossed over the street for the purpose of avoiding him. Mr Quirk was so dreadfully disconcerted by this occurrence, that instead of going on to court, where he would have had the satisfaction of hearing

Some week or ten days after the commencement of the term, Mr Quirk was walking down Parliament Street, on his way to the Court of King's Bench, hoping, amongst other things, to hear the court say whether they would grant or refuse a rule nisi for a new trial, in a certain cause of WIGLEY V. GAMMON, which had been moved for on the first day of term by Sir Charles Wolstenholme, and which Lord Widdrington had said the court would take a day or two's time to consider. Mr Quirk's eye caught the figure of a person, a few steps in advance of him, whom he fancied he had seen before. In a few minutes' time, the old gentleman was covered with a cold perspiration; for in a young man, about thirty years old, decently dressed, thin, sallow, and wearing a depressed air, Mr Quirk recognised Mr STEGGARS-a gentleman whom he had imagined to be at that moment

Mr Gammon's rule for a new trial re- | other, his countenance miserably pale and harassed, Mr Quirk burst hastily into his room, with the rule and affidavits in his hand.

fused, he retraced his steps homeward, and arrived at the office just as a clerk was inquiring for him; and who, on seeing him, put into his hands the following startling document, being a Rule," which had been granted the day before, by the Court of King's Bench :

"On reading the Affidavit of JONATHAN STEGGARS, the affidavits of James Parkinson and Charles Runnington, and the paper writing marked Å, all thereunto annexed, It is ORDERED that Caleb Quirk, Gentleman, an attorney of this Honourable Court, do, on Wednesday next, in this present term, show cause why he should not forthwith deliver up to Charles Aubrey, Esquire, the deeds and documents specified in the paper-writing thereto annexed, marked A, and also, why he should not answer the matters contained

in the said Affidavits. Upon the motion of Sir Charles Wolstenholme.

By the Court.'

"Oh Lord, Gammon! How are you, Gammon ?" he stuttered. "Haven't seen you this age!—Where have you been? How are you, eh?" and he grasped very cordially the cold hand of Mr Gammon, which did not return

the

pressure.

"I am not well, Mr Quirk; but— you seem agitated!-Has anything fresh hap

Fresh, indeed! Here's a new enemy
"Fresh?-Ecod, my dear Gammon !
don't feel going mad!-Look, Gam-
come into the field!-D- -d if I
mon, look!"-and he placed the rule
and sat down beside him.
and affidavits in Mr Gammon's hands,

"What!-Answer the matters in the affidavit?" quoth Gammon amazedly.

Mr Quirk? And who upon earth is
"Why, what have you been doing,
Jonathan Steggars?"

Quirk stupidly.
"Who's Steggars!" echoed Mr

Come,

"Who is he?" again inquired Gammon, somewhat sternly.

"Oh murder!" exclaimed Mr Quirk faintly, and, sinking into his chair, 'Yes, Mr Quirk-Steggars. Who inquired for Mr Gammon; but, as is he?" repeated Gammon intrepidly. usual, he had not been at Saffron Hill Steggars, you know-Gammon ! that day. Giving orders to Mr Am- You recollect Steggars, of courseminadab to bespeak copies imme- eh?" inquired Mr Quirk with an apprediately of the affidavits mentioned in hensive stare "Steggars; Steggars the rule, Mr Quirk set off for Mr Gam--you know! eh? You don't remon's chambers, but missed that gen- collect! Oh, botheration! tleman, who, he learned, had gone to come, Gammon !" Westminster. The next day Mr Gammon called at the office, but Mr Quirk was absent; on going, however, into Oh Lud! oh Lud! oh Lud!" exthe old gentleman's room, Mr Gam-claimed Mr Quirk despairingly, "What mon's eye lit on the above-mentioned are you after, Gammon? You don't 'rule," and also on copies of the affi intend-it can't be-that you're going davits upon which it had been granted. to-eh ?-It's Steggars, you knowHaving glanced over them, with a we defended him, you know-and he quaking heart, he hastily replaced got transported for embezzling that them on the desk, as he had found mortgage money of Mr Parkinson's! them, and repaired to his own room, You recollect how we got hold of Mr greatly flustered-resolved to wait for Aubrey's story from him?" While Mr Quirk's arrival, and appear to be Mr Quirk was saying all this with informed by him, for the first time, of feverish impetuosity, Mr Gammon the existence of the aforesaid formid-appeared to be, for the first time, able documents. While he was really glancing eagerly over the affidavits. buried in a reverie, with his head resting on one hand and a pen in the

* See APPENDIX.

"Why-good Heavens, Mr Quirk!" said he presently, with a start—“is it possible that these statements can

going wrong, he was candidly given | his own innocence, he resolved to credit by Mr Quirk and Mr Gammon hold on to the last, with a view, in for having lent a helping hand to the event of the partnership blowing everything from the beginning! In up, of scraping together a nice little fact, he was frightened out of his wits practice out of the fragments. at the terrible turn which matters were taking. 'Twas he who had to stand the brunt of the horrid badgering of the three frenzied Jews; he was included in half-a-dozen indictments for fraud and conspiracy, at the instance of the aforesaid Israelites, and of the assignees of Mr Tag-rag; and Heaven only could form a notion of what other good things were in store for him! He wondered vastly that they had not contrived to stick his name into the affidavits which had that day come in, and which seemed to have turned Mr Quirk's head upside down! Conscious, however, of

Half recklessly, and half in furtherance of some designs which he was forming, Gammon followed up, on the ensuing morning, his move with Mr Quirk, by sending to him and to Mr Snap a formal written notice of his intention to retire from the partnership, in conformity with the provisions of their articles, at the end of a calendar month from the date; and he resolved to take no part at all in the matter to which Mr Quirk's attention had been so sternly challenged by the Court of King's Bench-leaving Mr Quirk to struggle through it as best he might.

CHAPTER II.

WHAT IS GAMMON TO DO?-MR TITMOUSE MAKES AN EQUITABLE PROPOSAL TO KATE AUBREY.

WHAT was Mr Gammon now to do? He could not stir a step in any direction for want of money-getting every hour more and more involved and harassed on this score. The Ecclesiastical suit he had given up, and Mr Quod had instantly sent in his heavy bill, requiring immediate payment reminding Mr Gammon that he had pledged himself to see him paid, whatever might be the issue. Here, again, was an action of ejectment, on a tremendous scale, actually commenced, and vigorously carried on, with evidently unlimited funds at command, for the recovery of every acre of the Yatton property. Was it to be resisted? Where were the funds? Here he was, again, already a defendant in four indictments, charging fraud and conspiracy proceed

|ings entailing an utterly destructive expense; and his motion for a new trial, in the action for the bribery penalty, having failed, he was now liable to pay, almost instantly, a sum exceeding £3000 to the plaintiff, for debt and costs. As for the balance of their bill against Mr Aubrey, that was melting away hourly in the taxing office; and the probable result would be an action against them, at the suit of Mr Aubrey, for maliciously holding him to bail. Was it possible, thought Gammon, to make the two promissory notes of Mr Aubrey available, by discontinuing the actions commenced upon them, and indorsing them over at a heavy discount? He took an opinion upon the pointwhich was to the effect, that such a step could not then be taken, so as to

of his own, he had none, for he had been exceedingly unfortunate in his dealings in the British and Foreign funds, and had suffered severely and unexpectedly through his connection with one or two of the bubble companies of the day, which his own fostering care had brought into a short-lived existence. In fact he was liable to be called upon, at any mo

give any third party a better right against Mr Aubrey than Mr Titmouse had. Even had this, however, been otherwise, an unexpected obstacle arose in Mr Spitfire, who now held Mr Gammon at arm's length, and insisted on going forward with the actions: but he, in his turn, was, as it were, checkmated by a move of Mr Runnington's in the Court of Chancery, where he obtained an injunc-ment, for no less a sum than £3000, tion against proceeding with the actions on the notes, till the result of the pending action of ejectment should have been ascertained; and, in the event of the lessor of the plaintiff recovering, an account taken of the mesne profits which had been received by Mr Titmouse.

and interest, which had been advanc ed to him on security of a joint and several bond given by himself and Mr Titmouse; and he lived in daily dread lest the increasing frequency of the rumours to his discredit should get to the ears of this particular creditor, and precipitate his demand of reNo one, of course, would now ad- payment. To the vexation occasioned vance a farthing on mortgage of Mr by this direct pecuniary embarrassTitmouse's interest in the Yatton pro- ment, and the impossibility of reperty; and Mr Gammon's dearly trieving himself by a move in any earned rent-charge of £2000 a-year direction, being, in short, in a comhad become mere waste parchment, plete dead lock, were to be added other and as such he destroyed it. The sources of exquisite anxiety and moradvertisements concerning Lord De tification. To say nothing of the la Zouch's bond had effectually re- perilous legal and criminal liabilities strained Mr Gammon from raising which he had incurred, the consciousanything upon it; since any one ad-ness of his appearing an atrocious vancing money upon the security of its assignment, must have put it in suit against his lordship, when due, in the name of Mr Titmouse, and any answer to an action by him, would of course operate against the party using his name. Mr Gammon then bethought himself of felling the timber at Yatton; but, as if that step on his part had been anticipated, before they had got down more than a couple of trees at the extremity of the estate, down came an injunction from the Lord Chancellor, and so there was an end of all resources from that quarter. Should he try the experiment of offering to surrender Yatton without the delay and expense of defending the ejectment? He knew he should be laughed at; they must quickly see that he had no funds to fight with, even had he the slightest case to support. Mr Gammon saw that Mr Aubrey's position was already impregnable, and the notion of a compromise utterly ridiculous. As for resources

liar, and indeed an impostor, in the eyes of the Duke of Tantallan, of the Earl of Dreddlington, of Miss Macspleuchan, of the Aubreys, of Miss Aubrey, in fact, of every one who saw or heard of what he had done, stung him almost to madness. Considerations of this kind were infinitely more insupportable than all the others by which he was oppressed, put_together. And when he reflected that the Lord Chancellor, to whose favourable notice he had ever fondly aspired, and to a considerable extent, successfully, had been put in possession of all the heavy charges made against him, on the score of fraud and conspiracy, by means of the various motions made before his lordship, and the affidavits by which they were supported, he felt his soul withered within him. In short, it must surely appear, by this time, that the Devil had, in his dismal sport, got his friend Mr Gammon up into a corner.

In like manner Mr Titmouse had