with his blackguard and his black smelling bottle, snuffing and smelling, to hide his disappointed malignity. But, like the conger eel aforesaid, he soon shifted his position, and addressing the lawyer, said, "You'll please to observe, Sir, that I have not given up my claim to the bank notes; I merely waived the discussion."

"Remember Newgate," replied old Bagsby. "I do," said the other, recovering himself; "and have no sort of objection to pass another night there, I felt myself quite at home, I assure you. But," he continued, turning to Mr. Ledger, "do you mean to pay me for the notes?"

The old merchant now, in his turn, looked somewhat confused; but old Bagsby took up the cudgels, and replied, "We will do nothing of

the kind."

"I make my demand," continued the other, "and if it be not complied with, you must abide the consequences."

"And so must you," rejoined Bagsby; “let me recommend you to accept, my good friend, the worthy Mr. Ledger's offer."

"I want none of your advice," said he of the sables.

"Once more, as the mutual friend of both parties," continued the lawyer, "I request you to accede to so fair and honourable a proposition."

22

"It is neither the one nor the other," said the gentleman in black, "I will never agree to it; and he looked round with an assumed air of carelessness in his turn. The discussion was like the game of see-saw, one up and the other down-but old Bagsby had yet, as he whispered Mr. Ledger, his "great gun" to fire. Wherefore, "attention" being called, he pulled off his spectacles, hemmed three particularly loud hems, stiffened himself as near to a perpendicular as might be, screwed up his courage to the "sticking

place," and, in a voice as stentorian as his shrivelled, whistling old pipe could compass, (sic ore locutus est) thus spake he to the opposite party.

Then, Sir, you must abide the consequences."

"With all my heart," replied the other, with your worst."

a sneer;

"do

Very well, Sir," said old Bagsby; "then listen! I shall immediately throw the whole business into CHANCERY."

"Into where!" cried the gentleman in black, starting upon his legs, upsetting his black snuffbox and black-guard, letting fall his black smelling-bottle, oversetting his black bag and disarranging his black-edged papers, while his black hair stood erect upon his head, and his black Geneva cloak swelled out rigidly behind, as though thrust forth and supported by a mop-stick.

"Into Chancery," repeated old Bagsby, gravely; "Mr. Ledger will pay the money into Court."