What low lodgings poor Tittlebat lived in! | Why could he not take up his quarters at Satin Lodge? They always had a nice spare bed-room! Ah! that would be a stroke! How Tabby could endear herself to him! What a number of things Mrs. Tagrag could do to make him comfortable! About seven o'clock, Tagrag quitted his premises in Oxford Street, for his country house; and occupied with these and similar delightful and anxious thoughts and speculations, hurried along Oxford Street on his way to the Clapham stage, without thinking of his umbrella, though it rained fast. When he had taken his place on the coach-box, beside old Crack, (as he had done almost every night for years,) he was so unusually silent, that Crack naturally thought his best passenger was going to become bankrupt, or compound with his creditors, or something of that sort. Mr. Tagrag could hardly keep his temper at the slow pace old Crack was driving at-just when Tagrag could have wished to gallop the whole way. Never had he descended with so much briskness, as when the coach at length drew up before the little green gate, which opened on the nice little gravel walk, which led up to the little green wooden porch, which sheltered the slim door which admitted you into Satin Lodge. As Tagrag stood for a moment wiping his wet shoes upon the mat he could not help observing, for the first time, by the inward light of ten thousand a year, how uncommon small the passage was-and thinking that it would never do, when he should be the father-in-law of a man worth ten thousand a year—he could easily let that house, and take a large one. As he hung his hat upon the peg, the mischievous insolence of Lutestring occurred to him; and he deposited such a prodigious execration upon that gentleman's name, as must have sunk a far more buoyant sinner many fathoms deeper than usual, into a certain hot and deep place that shall be nameless. Mrs. and Miss Tagrag were sitting in the front parlour, intending to take tea as soon as Mr. Tagrag should have arrived. It was not a large room, but furnished prettily, according to the taste of the owners. There was only one window, and it had a flaunting white summer curtain. The walls were ornamented with three pictures, in heavily gilt frames, being portraits of Mr., Mrs., and Miss Tagrag, and I do not wish to say more of these pictures, than that in each of them the dress was done with singular exactness and fidelity-the faces seeming to have been painted in, in order to comlete the thing. The skinny little Miss Tagrag, sat at the worn-out jingling piano forte, playing-oh, horrid and doleful sound! The Battle of Prague. Mrs. Tagrag, a fat, showily dressed woman, of about fifty, her cap having a prodigious number of artificial flowers in it, sat reading. "Well, Dolly, how are you to-night?" inquired Tagrag, with unusual briskness, on entering the room. 66 Tolerable, thank you, Tag," replied Mrs. Tagrag, mournfully, with a sigh, closing the cheerful volume she had been perusing-it having been recommended the preceding Sunday from the pulpit by its pious and gifted author, Mr. Horror, to be read and prayed over every day by every member of his congregation. "And how are you, Tabby?" said Tagrag, addressing his daughter. "Come and kiss me, you little slut-come!" "No I sha'n't, pa! Do let me go on with my practising"-and twang! twang! went those infernal keys. "D'ye hear, Tab? Come and kiss me, you little minx "Really, pa, how provoking-just as I am in the middle of the Cries of the Wounded! I sha'n't-that's flat." The doating parent could not, however, be denied; so he stepped to the piano, put his arm round his dutiful daughter's neck, kissed her fondly, and then stood for a moment behind her, admiring her brilliant execution of The Trumpet of Victory. Having changed his coat, and put on an old pair of shoes, Tagrag was comfortable for the evening. "Tabby plays wonderful well, Dolly, don't she?" said Tagrag, as the tea-things were being brought in, by way of beginning a conversation, while he drew his chair nearer to his wife. "Ah! I'd a deal rather see her reading something serious-for life is short, Tag, and eternity's long." "Botheration!-stuff!-tut!" "You may find it out one day, my dear, when it's too late "I'll tell you what, Dolly," said Tagrag, angrily, "you're coming a great deal too much of that sort of thing-my house is getting like a Methodist meeting-house. I can't bear it-I can't! What the deuce is come to you all in these parts, lately?" "Ah, Tagrag," replied his wife with a sigh, "I can only pray for you-I can do no more "Oh!" exclaimed Tagrag, with an air of desperate disgust, thrusting his hands into his pockets, and stretching his legs to their utmost extent under the table. "I'll tell you what, Mrs. T.," he added, after a while, "too much of one thing is good for nothing; you may choke a dog with pudding;-I sha'n't renew my sittings at Mr. Horror's.' "Now, pa, do! That's a love of a pa!" interposed Miss Tagrag, twirling round on her music stool. All Clapham's running after him; he's quite the rage! There's the Dugginses, the Pips, the Joneses, the Maggots-and, really, Mr. Horror does preach such dreadful things, it's quite delightful to look round and see all the people with their eyes and mouths wide open-and ours is such a good pew for seeing and Mr. Horror is such a b-e-e-yeautiful preacher,-isn't he, ma?" "Yes, love, he is-but, I wish I could see you profit by him, and preparing for death" "Why, ma, how can you go on in that ridiculous way? You know I'm not twenty yet!" "Well, well! poor Tabby!" here Mrs. Tagrag's voice faltered-"a day will come when "Play me the Devil among the Tailors, or Copenhagen Waltz, or something of that sort, Tabby, or I shall be sick!-I can't bear it!" terable things at his daughter) “that shall be nameless, becoming mistress of ten thousand a year?" 66 Why"-Mrs. Tagrag changed colour"has any one fallen in love with Tab ?" "What should you say of our Tab marrying a man with ten thousand a year? There's for you! Isn't that better than all your religion?" “Oh, Tag, don't say that; but" (here she hastily turned down the leaf of Groans from the Bottomless Pit, and tossed that inestimable work upon the sofa) "do tell me, lovy, what are you talking about?" "What indeed, Dolly!-I'm going to have him here to dinner next Sunday." Miss Tagrag having been listening with breathless eagerness to this little colloquy between her prudent and amiable parents, unconscious of what she was about, was pouring all the tea into the sugar basin. "Have who, dear Tag ?" inquired Mrs. Tagrag impatiently. "Who? why whom but Tittlebat Titmouse? You've seen him, and heard me speak of him." "What! that odious, nasty” "Hush, hush!" involuntarily exclaimed "Well!-Oh, my!-I never!—Mr. Tag-Tagrag with an apprehensive air-“That's rag!" exclaimed his astounded wife. "Play away, Tab, or I'll go and sit in the kitchen! They're cheerful there! The next time I come across Mr. Horror, if I don't give him a bit of my mind,"-here he paused, and slapped his hand with much energy upon the table. Mrs. Tagrag wiped her eyes, sighed, and resumed her book. Miss Tagrag began to make tea, her papa gradually forgetting his rage, as he fixed his dull gray eyes fondly on the pert skinny countenance of his daughter. "By the way, Tag," exclaimed Mrs. Tagrag, suddenly, but in the same mournful tone, addressing her husband, you haven't of course forgot the lace for my new bonnet ?" "Never once thought of it," replied Tagrag, doggedly. "You haven't! Good gracious! what am I to go to chapel in next Sunday!" she exclaimed, with sudden alarm, closing her book, "and our seat in the very front of the gallery! bless me! I shall have a hundred eyes on me!" "Now that you're coming down a bit, and dropped out of the clouds, Dolly," said her husband, much relieved, "I'll tell you a bit of news that will, I fancy, rather "Come, what is it, Tag?" eagerly inquired his wife. all past and gone-I was always too hard on him. Well, he's turned up all of a sudden master of ten thousand a year. He has, indeed-you'll see if he hasn't." Mrs. Tagrag and her daughter sat in speechless wonder. "Where did he see Tab, Taggy?" at length inquired Mrs. Tagrag. Oh-I-I-why-you see-I don't exactly think that signifies so much-he will see her next Sunday." "So then he's positively coming?" "Yes; I've no doubt."-I'll discharge Lutestring to-morrow, thought Tagrag. "But aren't we counting our chickens, Tag, before they're hatched? If Titmouse is all of a sudden become such a catch, he'll be snapped up in a minute." "Why you see, Dolly-we're first in the market, I'm sure of that-his attorney tells me he's to be kept quite snug and quiet under my care for months, and see no one. So when he once gets sight of Tabby, and gets into her company-eh! Tab, sweet! you'll do all the rest-hem!" 66 La, pa! how you go on!" simpered Miss Tagrag. "You must do your part, Tab,” said her father-"we'll do ours. He'll bite, you may depend on it!" "What sort of a looking young man is "What should you say of a chance of a he, dear pa ?" inquired Miss Tagrag, blushcertain somebody" (here he looked unut-ing, and her heart fluttering very fast. est TEN THOUSAND A YEAR. "Oh, you must have seen him, sweet "How should I ever notice any of the lots of young men at the shop, pa?-I don't at all know him!" "Well-he's the handsomest, most genteel-looking fellow I ever came across; he's long been an ornament to my establishment, for his good looks and civil and obliging manners "Dear me," interrupted Mrs. Tagrag, anxiously addressing her daughter, "I hope Tabby, that Miss Nix will send home your lilac-coloured frock by next Sunday." "If she don't, Ma, I'll take care she never makes any thing more for me." "We'll call there to-morrow, love, and hurry her on," said her mother, and from that moment until eleven o'clock, when the amiable and interesting trio retired to rest, nothing was talked of but the charming Titmouse, and the good fortune he so richly deserved, and how long the courtship was likely to last. Mrs. Tagrag, who for the last month or so, had always remained on her knees before getting into bed, at least ten minutes, on this eventful evening compressed her prayers, I regret to say, into one minute and a half's time. As for Tagrag, a hardened heathen, he always tumbled prayerless into bed, the moment he was undressed; while the accomplished Miss Tabby Tagrag, having taken only half an hour to put her hair into papers, popped into bed directly she had blown the candle out, without saying any prayers-or even thinking of finishing the novel which lay under her pillow, and which she had got on the sly from the circulating library of the late Miss Snooks. For several hours she lay in a delicious revery, imagining herself become Mrs. Tittlebat Titmouse, riding about Clapham in a handsome carriage, going to the play every night; and what would the three Miss Knipps say when they heard of it-they'd burst! And such a handsome man, too! She sunk, at length, into unconsciousness, amidst a soft confusion of glittering white satin-favours-bridesmaids-Mrs. Tittlebat Tit-Tit-Tit-Tit-mouse. better, sir!-been very uneasy, sir, about "Please to walk in, sir," replied Tit- "Happy to hear it, sir! but am also come to offer humble apologies for the rudeness of that upstart that was so rude to you yesterday, at my premises-know whom I mean, eh?-Lutestring-I shall get rid of -But-but-when I him, I do think "Thank you, sirwas in your employ "Was in my employ!" interrupted Tagrag, with a sigh,-"It's no use trying to hide it any longer! I've all along seen you was a world too good-quite above your situation in my poor shop! I may have been wrong, Mr. Titmouse," he continued, diffidently, as he placed himself on what seemed the only chair in the room, "but I did it all for the best-eh?-don't you understand me, Mr. Titmouse?" Titmouse continued looking on the floor, incredulously and sheepishly. "Very much obliged, sir-but must say you've rather a funny way of showing it, sir. Look at the sort of life you've led me for this——————” "Ah! knew you'd say so! But I can lay my hand on my heart, Mr. Titmouse, and declare to God-I can, indeed, Mr. TitTitmouse preserved a very em"See, I'm out of your mouse." barrassing silence. good books-but-won't you forget and forgive, Mr. Titmouse? I meant well. Nay, Can I say more? I humbly beg forgiveness for every thing you've not liked in me. Come, Mr. Titmouse, you've a noble nature, and I ask forgiveness." "You-you ought to do it before the whole shop," replied Titmouse, a little relenting-"for they've all seen your goings on.' "Them!-the brutes!-the vulgar fellows! you and I, Mr. Titmonse, are a leetle above them! D'ye think we ought to mind what servants say?-Only say the word, and I make a clean sweep of 'em all; you shall have the premises to yourself, Mr. Titmouse, within an hour after any of those chaps shows you disrespect." You have!" Tittlebat, about half-past nine on the en"Ah! I don't know-you've used me suing morning, was sitting in his room in a somewhat dismal humour, musing on many most uncommon bad-far worse than they things, and little imagining the intense in-have-you've nearly broke my heart, sir! terest he had excited in the feelings of the A "Well, my womankind at home are right, amiable occupants of Satin Lodge. knock at his door startled him out of his after all! They told me all along I was revery. Behold, on opening it, Mr. Tagrag! going the wrong way to work, when I said "Your most obedient, sir," commenced how I tried to keep your pride down, and that gentleman, in a subdued and obsequi- prevent you from having your head turned ous manner, plucking off his hat the instant by knowing your good looks. My little that he saw Titmouse. "I hope you're girl has said, with tears in her dear eyes— 'you'll break his spirit, dear papa-if he's handsome, wasn't it God that made him so?" The little frost-work which Titmouse had thrown around his heart, began to melt like snow under sunbeams. "The women are always right, Mr. Titmouse, and we're always wrong," continued Tagrag, earnestly, perceiving his advantage. "Upon my soul, I could kick myself for my stupidity, and cruelty, too!" 66 "Ah, I should think so! No one knows what I've suffered! And now that I'm-I suppose you've heard it all, sir?-what's in the wind-and all that?” "Yes, sir-Mr. Gammon, (that most respectable gentleman,) and I have had a long talk yesterday about ou, in which he certainly did tell me every thing-nothing like confidence, Mr. Titmouse, when gentleman meets gentleman, you know. It's really delightful!" "Isn't it, sir?" eagerly interrupted Titmouse, his eyes glistening with sudden rapture. "Ah! ten thous-I must shake hands with you, my dear Mr. Titmouse;" and for the first time in their lives their hands touched, Tagrag squeezing that of Titmouse with energetic cordiality; while he added, with a little emotion in his tone-"Thomas Tagrag may be a plain-spoken and wrong-headed man, but he's a warm heart." "And did Mr. Gammon tell you all, sir?" eagerly interrupted Titmouse. 66 Every thing every thing; quite confidential, I assure you, for he saw the interest I felt in you." "And did he say about my-hem!—eh! my stopping a few weeks longer with you?" inquired Titmouse, chagrin overspreading his features. "I think he did, Mr. Titmouse! He's bent on it, sir? And so would any true friend of your's be-because you see," here he dropped his voice and looked very mysteriously at Titmouse-"In short, I quite agree with Mr. Gammon!" "Do you, indeed, sir!" exclaimed mouse, with rather an uneasy look. as friends that we know each other now. You may say and do whatever you like, and come and go when and where you like. -It's true it will make my other hands rather jealous and get me into trouble; but what do I care? Suppose they do all give me warning for your sake? Let 'em go, say I!" He snapped his fingers with an air of defiance. "Your looks and manners would keep a shop full of customers-one Titmouse is worth a hundred of them." "You speak uncommon gentleman-like, sir," said Titmouse, with a little excite ment" and if you'd only always-but that's all past and gone; and I've no objections to say at once, that all the articles I may want in your line I'll have at your establishment, pay cash down, and ask for no discount. And I'll send all my friends, for, in course, sir, you know, I shall have lots of them!" "Don't forget your oldest, your truest, your humblest friend, Mr. Titmouse," said Tagrag, with a cringing air. "That I won't!" It flashed across his mind that a true and old friend would be only too happy to lend him a ten-pound note. "Hem!-now, are you such a friend, Mr. Tagrag?" "Am I?-Can you doubt me? Try me! See what I could not do for you! Friend, indeed!" "Well, I believe you, sir! And the fact is, a-a-a-you see Mr. Tagrag, though all this heap of money's coming to me, I'm precious low just now." "Y-e-e-e-s, Mr. Titmouse," quoth Tagrag, anxiously; his dull gray eye fixed on that of Titmouse steadfastly. "Well-if you've a mind to prove your words, Mr. Tagrag, and don't mind advancing me a ten-pound note—" "Hem!" involuntarily uttered Tagrag so suddenly and violently, that it made Titmouse almost start off his seat. Then Tagrag's face flushed over, he twirled about his Tit-watch-key rapidly, and wriggled about in his chair with visible agitation. "I do, I' faith? Why, they'd give thousands and thousands to get you out of the way—and what's money to them? But they must look very sharp that get at you in the premises of Thomas Tagrag. Talking of that, ah, ha!—it will be a funny thing to see you, Mr. Titmouse-Squire Titmouse -ah, ha, ha !" "You won't hardly expect me to go out with goods, I suppose, sir?" "Ha, ha, ha!-Ha, ha, ha!-Might as well ask me if I'd set you to clean my shoes! No, no, my dear Mr. Titmouse, you and I have done as master and servant; it's only "Oh, you aren't going to do it! if so, you'd better say it at once," quoth Titmouse, rather cavalierly. "Why was ever any thing so unfortunate!" stammered Tagrag. That cursed lot of French goods I bought only yesterday, to be paid for this morning-and it will drain me of every penny!" "Ah-yes! True! Well, it don't much signify," said Titmouse, carelessly, running his hand through his hair. "In fact, I needn't have bothered an old friend; Mr. Gammon says he's my banker to any amount. I beg pardon, I'm sure-" Tagrag was in a dire dilemma. He felt painful perplexity about this loan of five so flustrated by the suddenness and serious-pounds. It was truly like squeezing five ness of the thing, that he could not see his way plain in any direction. drops of blood out of his heart. But what was to be done? Could he offend Titmouse? Where was he to stop, if he once began? Dare he ask for security? Suppose the whole affair should turn into smoke? "Let me see," at length he stammered; and pulling a ready-reckoner out of his pocket, he affected to be consulting it, as if to ascertain merely the state of his banker's Now, consider the folly of Tagrag. Here account, but really desiring a few moments' was he in all this terrible pucker about adtime to collect his thoughts. 'Twas in vancing five pounds on the strength of prosvain, however; nothing occurred to him; pects and chances which he had deemed he saw no way of escape; his old friend the safe for adventuring his daughter upondevil, deserting him for the moment, sup-her, the only object on earth (except moplied him with no ready lie. He must, he feared, cash up. "Well," said heit certainly is rather unfortunate, just at this precise moment; but I'll step to the shop, and see how my ready-money matters stand. It sha'n't be a trifle, Mr. Titmouse, that shall stand between us. But if I should be hard run-perhaps eh? Would a five-mand of an immediate outlay and venture— pound note do?" 66 Why-a-a-if it wouldn't suit you to advance the ten-" "I dare say," interrupted Tagrag, a trifle relieved, "I shall be able to accommodate you. Perhaps you'll step on to the shop presently, and then we can talk over matters. By the way, did you ever see any thing so odd! forgot the main thing; come and take your mutton with me at Clapham, next Sunday-my womankind will be quite delighted. Nay, 'tis their invitation-ha, ha!" "You're very kind," replied Titmouse, colouring with pleasure. Here seemed the first pale primrose of the coming spring an invitation to Satin Lodge. ney) that he regarded with any thing like sincere affection. How was this? The splendour of the future possible good fortune of his daughter, might, perhaps, have dazzled and confused his perceptions. Then, again, that was a remote contingency; but this sudden appeal to his pocket-the de was an instant pressure, and he felt it severely. Immediate profit and loss was every thing to Tagrag. He was, in truth, a tradesman to his heart's core. If he could have seen the immediate quid pro quocould have got, if only by way of earnest, as it were, a bit of poor Titmouse's heart, and locked it up in his desk, he would not have cared so much; it would have been a little in his line; but here was a five-pound note going out forthwith, and nothing immediate, visible, palpable, replacing it. Oh' Titmouse had unconsciously pulled Tagrag's very heart-strings! Observe, discriminating reader, that there is all the difference in the world between a tradesman and a merchant; and, moreover, that it is not every tradesman that is a Tagrag. "The kindness will be yours, Mr. Titmouse. We shall be quite alone; have you all to ourselves; only me, my wife, and All these considerations combined to keep daughter-an only child, Mr. Titmouse-Tagrag in a perfect fever of doubt and anxsuch a child! She's really often said to me, iety, which several hearty curses failed in 'I wonder'-but,-I won't make you vain, eventually relieving. By the time, howeh? May I call it a fixture?" ever, that Titmouse had made his appear"'Pon my life, Mr. Tagrag, you're mon-ance, with a sufficiently sheepish air, and strous uncommon polite. It's true, I was going to dine with Mr. Gammon-" "Oh! pho! (I mean no disrespect, mind!) he's only a bachelor-I've ladies in the case, and all that eh, Mr. Titmouse? and a young one." "Well-thank you, sir. Since you're so pressing-" "That's it! An engagement-Satin Lodge for Sunday next," said Tagrag, rising and looking at his watch. "Time for me to be off. See you soon at the shop? Soon arrange that little matter of business, eh? You understand? Good by! good by!" and shaking Titmouse cordially by the hand, Tagrag took his departure. As he hurried on to his shop, he felt in a most was beginning to run the gauntlet of grinning contempt from the choice youths of each side of the shop, Tagrag had determined on the course he should pursue in the matter above referred to. To the amazement and disgust of all present, Tagrag bolted out of a little counting-house or side-room, hastened to meet Titmouse with outstretched hand and cordial speech, drew him into his little room, and shut the door. There Tagrag informed his flurried young friend that he had made arrangements (with a little inconvenience, which signified nothing,) for lending Titmouse five pounds. "And, as life's uncertain, my dear Mr. Titmouse," said Tagrag, as Titmouse, with evident ecstacy, put the five-pound note intr |