and Mephibosheth Maharshalal-hash-baz-who had no security at all for their advances except the title-deeds of the estate, and the personal covenant of Mr Titmouse-beset the office in Saffron Hill from morning to night, like a couple of frantic fiends, and nearly drove poor old Mr Quirk out of his senses. Mr Snap was peremptory and insolent; while Gammon seldom made his appearance and would see no one at his private residence, pleading serious indisposition.

After anxious reflection, Mr Gammon did not absolutely despair of extricating himself from the perils with which he was personally environed. As for certain fond hopes of political advancement, after which, indeed, his soul pined, he did not despair of prevailing on his friend at headquarters—to whom he had undoubtedly rendered considerable political services at no little personal risk-to overlook the accident which had befallen him, in the adverse verdict for the bribery penalties, even should he fail in his motion to defeat that verdict in the ensuing term. He had had a distinct intimation that-that one obstacle removed ―a very important and influential situation under government was within his reach. But, alas! this last overwhelming misfortune-how could he possibly evade or surmount it? What human ingenuity or intrepidity could avail to extricate him from the consequences of his avowal to Miss Aubrey—and his counter-statements to the Duke of Tantallan and Miss Macspleuchan-to say nothing of the Earl of Dreddlington? He resolved to risk itto rely on his own resources, and the chapter of accidents. The mere presence of difficulty strung his nerves to encounter it. He resolved to rely on the impossibility of fixing him directly with a knowledge of the rottenness of Titmouse's pretensions—at all events, till a period considerably subsequent to the trial, and Titmouse's marriage with the Lady Cecilia. It occurred to him, as calculated, moreover, to aid his contemplated movements, if he could find a fair pretext for throwing overboard his partners, especially Mr Quirk-satisfied that his own uniform caution had prevented him from committing himself to them—or at least had deprived them of means of proving it. He very soon met with an opportunity, of which he promptly availed himself.

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, which 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 very depressed air-Mr Quirk recognized Mr STEGGARS-a gentleman whom he had imagined to be at that moment comfortably settled at Botany Bay! This was the individual, it may be recollected, whose execrable breach of trust, when a clerk of Mr Parkinson's at Grilston, had led to Mr Quirk's discovery of the infirmity in Mr Aubrey's title. The fact was, that Mr Steggars had quitted England, as the reader may recollect, horribly disgusted with Mr Quirk's conduct to. wards him; and had also subsequently experienced some little remorse on account of his own mean and cruel conduct towards a gentleman and his amiable family, who had never given him the slightest pretext for hostility or revenge. He had contrived to make his feelings upon the subject known to an official individual at Botany Bay, who had given him an opportunity of explaining matters fully to the authorities at home-the principal of whom, the Home Secretary-had been, and indeed continued to be, a warm personal friend of Mr Aubrey's. This minister caused enquiries to be made concerning Steggars' behaviour while abroad, which were so satisfactorily answered as to procure 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 a most anxious inquisitiveness, he encountered a fearfully signifi

cant glance and then Mr Steggars, in a very 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 heard Mr Gammon's rule for a new trial refused, he retraced his steps homeward, and arrived at the office just as a clerk was enquiring 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 A, all hereunto 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 hereto annexed, marked A, and also, why he should not answer the matters contained in the said Affidavits, Upon the motion of Sir Charles Wolstenholme,

"Oh Lord!" exclaimed Mr Quirk faintly, and, sinking into his chair, enquired for Mr Gammon; but, as usual, he had not been at the office that day. Giving orders to Mr Amminadab to have copies taken immediately of the affidavits mentioned in the rule, Mr Quirk set off for Mr Gammon's chambers, but missed that gentleman, who, he learned, was down at court. The next day Mr Gammon called at the office, but Mr Quirk was absent; on going, however, into the old gentleman's room, Mr Gammon's eye lit on the above-mentioned "rule," and also on the affidavits upon which it had been granted. Having hurriedly glanced over them, he hastily replaced them on the desk, as he had found them, and repaired to his own room, greatly flustered-resolved to wait for Mr Quirk's arrival, and appear to be informed by him, for the first time, of the existence of the aforesaid rule and affidavits. While he was really buried in a reverie, with his head resting on one hand and a pen in the other, his countenance miserably pale and harassed, Mr Quirk burst hastily into his room with the rule and affidavits in his hand.

"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 very well, Mr Quirk; but—you seem agitated !— Has any thing fresh hap—"

“Fresh?—Ecod, my dear Gammon!

a new enemy come into the field!—D.

Fresh, indeed! Here's -d if I don't feel going

mad!—Look, Gammon, look!”—and he placed the rule and affidavits in Mr Gammon's hands, and sat down beside him.

"What!—Answer the matters of the affidavit?" quoth Gammon amazedly." Why, what have you been doing, Mr Quirk? And -who upon earth is-Jonathan Steggars ?"

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

"Yes, Mr Quirk-Steggars. Who is he?" repeated Gammon intrepidly.

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Steggars, you know-Gammon! You recollect Steggars, of course-eh?" enquired Mr Quirk with an apprehensive stare— "Steggars; Steggars-you know! eh? You don't recollect! Oh, botheration! Come, come, Gammon!"

"Who is he?" again enquired Gammon, somewhat sternly. "Oh Lud! oh Lud! oh Lud!" exclaimed Mr Quirk despairingly-"What are you after, Gammon? You don't intend-it can't be that you're going to-eh ?-It's Steggars, you knowwe defended him, you know-and he got transported for robbing Parkinson. You recollect how we got hold of Mr Aubrey's story from him?" While Mr Quirk was saying all this with feverish impetuosity, Mr Gammon appeared to be, for the first time, glancing eagerly over the affidavits.

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Why-good heavens, Mr Quirk!" said he, presently, with a start" is it possible that these statements can have the slightest foundation in fact?"

"Ay, drat it-that you know as well as I do, Gammon,” replied Mr Quirk, with not a little eagerness and trepidation-" Come, come, it's rather late in the day to sham Abraham just now."

“Do you venture, Mr Quirk, to stand there and deliberately charge me with being a party to the grossly dishonourable conduct of which you are here accused upon oath—which, indeed, you admit yourself to have been guilty of?"

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"Dd if I don't, Master Gammon !" replied Mr Quirk, slapping his hand on the table after a long pause, in which he looked completely confounded. 'Why, you'll want, by and by, to persuade me that my name isn't Caleb Quirk—why, zounds! you'll drive me mad! You're gone mad yourself—you must be!" "How dare you insult me, sir, by charging me with conniving at your infamous and most unprofessional conduct ?"

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Why-come! You don't know how we first got scent of the whole thing?-Ah, ha! It dropped down from the clouds, I suppose, into our office-oh lud, lud, Gammon! it isn't kind to leave an old friend in the lurch at such a horrid pinch as this!"

"I tell you, Mr Quirk, that I never had the least idea in the world that this wretch Steggars-Faugh! I should have scouted the whole thing! I would rather have retired from the firm!" "That's it, Gammon! Go on, Gammon! This is uncommonly funny! It is, indeed, ah, ha!"

"This is no time for trifling, sir, believe me. Let me tell you thus much, in all candour-that I certainly had, from the first, misgivings as to the means by which you became possessed of this information; but, considering our relative situations, I did not feel myself at liberty to press you on the point-Oh, Mr Quirk, I am really shocked beyond all bounds! What will the profession think of"

"D

the profession! What d'ye think I must be just now thinking of you? Why, you'd make a dog strike its father!" "I may have been unfortunate, Mr Quirk-I may have been imprudent; but I have never been dishonourable-and I would not for the whole creation have my name associated with this infernal transac

"Come, come—who wanted me to forge a tombstone, Gammon?" enquired Mr Quirk, glancing very keenly at his friend. "Wanted you to forge a tombstone, sir!" echoed Gammon, with an air of astonishment.

"Ay! ay! Forge a tombstone!" repeated Mr Quirk, dropping his voice, and slapping one hand upon the other.

Upon my word and honour, Mr Quirk, I pity you! You've lost your senses.'

"You wanted me to forge a tombstone! Dd if you didn't!"