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creature had, with this dreadful charge upon me!'

Mr Brass rejoined that it would have been well for the prisoner if he

had thought of that before and was about to make some other gloomy

observations when the voice of the single gentleman was heard,

demanding from above-stairs what was the matter, and what was the cause

of all that noise and hurry. Kit made an involuntary start towards the

door in his anxiety to answer for himself, but being speedily detained

by the constable, had the agony of seeing Sampson Brass run out alone

to tell the story in his own way.

'And he can hardly believe it, either,' said Sampson, when he returned,

'nor nobody will. I wish I could doubt the evidence of my senses, but

their depositions are unimpeachable. It's of no use cross-examining my

eyes,' cried Sampson, winking and rubbing them, 'they stick to their

first account, and will. Now, Sarah, I hear the coach in the Marks;

get on your bonnet, and we'll be off. A sad errand! a moral funeral,

quite!'

'Mr Brass,' said Kit. 'Do me one favour. Take me to Mr Witherden's

first.'

Sampson shook his head irresolutely.

'Do,' said Kit. 'My master's there. For Heaven's sake, take me there,

first.'

'Well, I don't know,' stammered Brass, who perhaps had his reasons for

wishing to show as fair as possible in the eyes of the notary. 'How do

we stand in point of time, constable, eh?'

The constable, who had been chewing a straw all this while with great

philosophy, replied that if they went away at once they would have time

enough, but that if they stood shilly-shallying there, any longer, they

must go straight to the Mansion House; and finally expressed his

opinion that that was where it was, and that was all about it.

Mr Richard Swiveller having arrived inside the coach, and still

remaining immoveable in the most commodious corner with his face to the

horses, Mr Brass instructed the officer to remove his prisoner, and

declared himself quite ready. Therefore, the constable, still holding

Kit in the same manner, and pushing him on a little before him, so as

to keep him at about three-quarters of an arm's length in advance

(which is the professional mode), thrust him into the vehicle and

followed himself. Miss Sally entered next; and there being now four

inside, Sampson Brass got upon the box, and made the coachman drive on.

Still completely stunned by the sudden and terrible change which had

taken place in his affairs, Kit sat gazing out of the coach window,

almost hoping to see some monstrous phenomenon in the streets which

might give him reason to believe he was in a dream. Alas! Everything

was too real and familiar: the same succession of turnings, the same

houses, the same streams of people running side by side in different

directions upon the pavement, the same bustle of carts and carriages in

the road, the same well-remembered objects in the shop windows: a

regularity in the very noise and hurry which no dream ever mirrored.

Dream-like as the story was, it was true. He stood charged with

robbery; the note had been found upon him, though he was innocent in

thought and deed; and they were carrying him back, a prisoner.

Absorbed in these painful ruminations, thinking with a drooping heart

of his mother and little Jacob, feeling as though even the

consciousness of innocence would be insufficient to support him in the

presence of his friends if they believed him guilty, and sinking in

hope and courage more and more as they drew nearer to the notary's,

poor Kit was looking earnestly out of the window, observant of

nothing,--when all at once, as though it had been conjured up by magic,

he became aware of the face of Quilp.

And what a leer there was upon the face! It was from the open window

of a tavern that it looked out; and the dwarf had so spread himself

over it, with his elbows on the window-sill and his head resting on

both his hands, that what between this attitude and his being swoln

with suppressed laughter, he looked puffed and bloated into twice his

usual breadth. Mr Brass, on recognising him, immediately stopped the

coach. As it came to a halt directly opposite to where he stood, the

dwarf pulled off his hat, and saluted the party with a hideous and

grotesque politeness.

'Aha!' he cried. 'Where now, Brass? where now? Sally with you too?

Sweet Sally! And Dick? Pleasant Dick! And Kit! Honest Kit!'

'He's extremely cheerful!' said Brass to the coachman. 'Very much so!

Ah, sir--a sad business! Never believe in honesty any more, sir.'

'Why not?' returned the dwarf. 'Why not, you rogue of a lawyer, why

not?'

'Bank-note lost in our office sir,' said Brass, shaking his head.

'Found in his hat sir--he previously left alone there--no mistake at

all sir--chain of evidence complete--not a link wanting.'

'What!' cried the dwarf, leaning half his body out of window. 'Kit a

thief! Kit a thief! Ha ha ha! Why, he's an uglier-looking thief than

can be seen anywhere for a penny. Eh, Kit--eh? Ha ha ha! Have you

taken Kit into custody before he had time and opportunity to beat me!

Eh, Kit, eh?' And with that, he burst into a yell of laughter,

manifestly to the great terror of the coachman, and pointed to a dyer's

pole hard by, where a dangling suit of clothes bore some resemblance to

a man upon a gibbet.

'Is it coming to that, Kit!' cried the dwarf, rubbing his hands

violently. 'Ha ha ha ha! What a disappointment for little Jacob, and

for his darling mother! Let him have the Bethel minister to comfort

and console him, Brass. Eh, Kit, eh? Drive on coachey, drive on. Bye

bye, Kit; all good go with you; keep up your spirits; my love to the

Garlands--the dear old lady and gentleman. Say I inquired after 'em,

will you? Blessings on 'em, on you, and on everybody, Kit. Blessings

on all the world!'

With such good wishes and farewells, poured out in a rapid torrent

until they were out of hearing, Quilp suffered them to depart; and when

he could see the coach no longer, drew in his head, and rolled upon the

ground in an ecstacy of enjoyment.

When they reached the notary's, which they were not long in doing, for

they had encountered the dwarf in a bye street at a very little

distance from the house, Mr Brass dismounted; and opening the coach

door with a melancholy visage, requested his sister to accompany him

into the office, with the view of preparing the good people within, for

the mournful intelligence that awaited them. Miss Sally complying, he

desired Mr Swiveller to accompany them. So, into the office they went;

Mr Sampson and his sister arm-in-arm; and Mr Swiveller following, alone.

The notary was standing before the fire in the outer office, talking to

Mr Abel and the elder Mr Garland, while Mr Chuckster sat writing at the

desk, picking up such crumbs of their conversation as happened to fall

in his way. This posture of affairs Mr Brass observed through the

glass-door as he was turning the handle, and seeing that the notary

recognised him, he began to shake his head and sigh deeply while that

partition yet divided them.

'Sir,' said Sampson, taking off his hat, and kissing the two

fore-fingers of his right hand beaver glove, 'my name is Brass--Brass

of Bevis Marks, Sir. I have had the honour and pleasure, Sir, of being

concerned against you in some little testamentary matters. How do you

do, sir?'

'My clerk will attend to any business you may have come upon, Mr

Brass,' said the notary, turning away.

'Thank you Sir,' said Brass, 'thank you, I am sure. Allow me, Sir, to

introduce my sister--quite one of us Sir, although of the weaker

sex--of great use in my business Sir, I assure you. Mr Richard, sir,

have the goodness to come foward if you please--No really,' said Brass,

stepping between the notary and his private office (towards which he

had begun to retreat), and speaking in the tone of an injured man,

'really Sir, I must, under favour, request a word or two with you,

indeed.'

'Mr Brass,' said the other, in a decided tone, 'I am engaged. You see

that I am occupied with these gentlemen. If you will communicate your

business to Mr Chuckster yonder, you will receive every attention.'

'Gentlemen,' said Brass, laying his right hand on his waistcoat, and

looking towards the father and son with a smooth smile--'Gentlemen, I

appeal to you--really, gentlemen--consider, I beg of you. I am of the

law. I am styled "gentleman" by Act of Parliament. I maintain the

title by the annual payment of twelve pound sterling for a certificate.

I am not one of your players of music, stage actors, writers of books,

or painters of pictures, who assume a station that the laws of their

country don't recognise. I am none of your strollers or vagabonds. If

any man brings his action against me, he must describe me as a

gentleman, or his action is null and void. I appeal to you--is this

quite respectful? Really gentlemen--'

'Well, will you have the goodness to state your business then, Mr

Brass?' said the notary.

'Sir,' rejoined Brass, 'I will. Ah Mr Witherden! you little know

the--but I will not be tempted to travel from the point, sir, I believe

the name of one of these gentlemen is Garland.'

'Of both,' said the notary.

'In-deed!' rejoined Brass, cringing excessively. 'But I might have

known that, from the uncommon likeness. Extremely happy, I am sure, to

have the honour of an introduction to two such gentlemen, although the

occasion is a most painful one. One of you gentlemen has a servant

called Kit?'

'Both,' replied the notary.

'Two Kits?' said Brass smiling. 'Dear me!'

'One Kit, sir,' returned Mr Witherden angrily, 'who is employed by both

gentlemen. What of him?'

'This of him, sir,' rejoined Brass, dropping his voice impressively.

'That young man, sir, that I have felt unbounded and unlimited

confidence in, and always behaved to as if he was my equal--that young

man has this morning committed a robbery in my office, and been taken

almost in the fact.'

'This must be some falsehood!' cried the notary.

'It is not possible,' said Mr Abel.

'I'll not believe one word of it,' exclaimed the old gentleman.

Mr Brass looked mildly round upon them, and rejoined,

'Mr Witherden, sir, YOUR words are actionable, and if I was a man of

low and mean standing, who couldn't afford to be slandered, I should

proceed for damages. Hows'ever, sir, being what I am, I merely scorn

such expressions. The honest warmth of the other gentleman I respect,

and I'm truly sorry to be the messenger of such unpleasant news. I

shouldn't have put myself in this painful position, I assure you, but

that the lad himself desired to be brought here in the first instance,

and I yielded to his prayers. Mr Chuckster, sir, will you have the

goodness to tap at the window for the constable that's waiting in the

coach?'

The three gentlemen looked at each other with blank faces when these

words were uttered, and Mr Chuckster, doing as he was desired, and

leaping off his stool with something of the excitement of an inspired

prophet whose foretellings had in the fulness of time been realised,

held the door open for the entrance of the wretched captive.

Such a scene as there was, when Kit came in, and bursting into the rude

eloquence with which Truth at length inspired him, called Heaven to

witness that he was innocent, and that how the property came to be

found upon him he knew not! Such a confusion of tongues, before the

circumstances were related, and the proofs disclosed! Such a dead

silence when all was told, and his three friends exchanged looks of

doubt and amazement!

'Is it not possible,' said Mr Witherden, after a long pause, 'that this

note may have found its way into the hat by some accident,--such as

the removal of papers on the desk, for instance?'

But this was clearly shown to be quite impossible. Mr Swiveller,

though an unwilling witness, could not help proving to demonstration,

from the position in which it was found, that it must have been

designedly secreted.

'It's very distressing,' said Brass, 'immensely distressing, I am sure.

When he comes to be tried, I shall be very happy to recommend him to

mercy on account of his previous good character. I did lose money

before, certainly, but it doesn't quite follow that he took it. The

presumption's against him--strongly against him--but we're Christians,

I hope?'

'I suppose,' said the constable, looking round, 'that no gentleman here

can give evidence as to whether he's been flush of money of late, Do

you happen to know, Sir?'

'He has had money from time to time, certainly,' returned Mr Garland,

to whom the man had put the question. 'But that, as he always told me,

was given him by Mr Brass himself.'

'Yes to be sure,' said Kit eagerly. 'You can bear me out in that, Sir?'

'Eh?' cried Brass, looking from face to face with an expression of

stupid amazement.

'The money you know, the half-crowns, that you gave me--from the

lodger,' said Kit.

'Oh dear me!' cried Brass, shaking his head and frowning heavily.

'This is a bad case, I find; a very bad case indeed.'

'What! Did you give him no money on account of anybody, Sir?' asked Mr

Garland, with great anxiety.

'I give him money, Sir!' returned Sampson. 'Oh, come you know, this is

too barefaced. Constable, my good fellow, we had better be going.'

'What!' shrieked Kit. 'Does he deny that he did? ask him, somebody,