"Oh, don't name it, sir!" quoth t.i.tmouse, rather indistinctly, and hastily running his hand through his hair.

"I've nothing, you see, to offer you but a little fruit and a gla.s.s of fair port or sherry. You see I am a very quiet man on Sundays!"

"Particular fond of _them_, sir," replied t.i.tmouse, endeavoring to clear his throat; for in spite of a strong effort to appear at his ease, he was unsuccessful; so that, when Gammon's keen eye glanced at the bedizened figure of his guest, a bitter smile pa.s.sed over his face, without having been observed by t.i.tmouse. "_This_," thought he, as his eye pa.s.sed from the ring glittering on the little finger of the right hand, to the studs and breast-pin in the shirt-front, and thence to the guard-chain glaring entirely outside a damson-colored satin waistcoat, and the spotless white glove which yet glistened on the left hand--"This is the writer of the dismal epistle of the other day, announcing his desperation and dest.i.tution!"

"Your health, Mr. t.i.tmouse!--help yourself!" said Mr. Gammon, in a cheerful and cordial tone; t.i.tmouse pouring out a gla.s.s only three-quarters full, raised it to his lips with a slightly tremulous hand, and returned Mr. Gammon's salutation. When had t.i.tmouse tasted a gla.s.s of wine before? a reflection occurring not only to himself, but also to Gammon, to whom it was a circ.u.mstance that might be serviceable.

"You see, Mr. t.i.tmouse, mine's only a small bachelor's establishment, and I cannot put my old servant out of the way by having my friends to dinner"--[quite forgetting that the day before he had entertained at least six friends, including Mr. Frankpledge--but, the idea of going through a dinner _with Mr. t.i.tmouse_!]

And now, O inexperienced t.i.tmouse! unacquainted with the potent qualities of wine, I warn you to be cautious how you drink many gla.s.ses, for you cannot calculate the effect which they will have upon you; and, indeed, methinks that with this man you have a game to play which will not admit of much wine being drunk. Be you, therefore, on your guard; for wine is like a strong serpent, who will creep unperceivedly into your empty head, and coil himself up therein, until at length he begins to move about--and all things are as nought to you!

"Oh, sir, 'pon my honor, beg you won't name it--all one to me, sir!--Beautiful wine this, sir."

"Pretty fair, I think--certainly rather old;--but what fruit will you take--raspberries or cherries?"

"Why--a--I've so lately dined," replied t.i.tmouse, alluding to the brace of biscuits on which he had luxuriated several hours before. He would have preferred the cherries, but did not feel quite at his ease how to dispose of the _stones_ nicely--gracefully--so he took a very few raspberries upon his plate, and ate them slowly, and with a modest and timid air.

"Well, Mr. t.i.tmouse," commenced Gammon, with an air of concern, "I was really much distressed by your last letter!"

"Uncommon glad to hear it, sir--knew you would, sir--you're so kind-hearted;--all quite true, sir!"

"I had no idea that you were reduced to such straits," said Gammon, in a sympathizing tone, but settling his eye involuntarily on the ring of t.i.tmouse.

"Quite dreadful, sir--'pon my soul, dreadful; and such usage at Mr.

Tag-rag's!"

"But you mustn't think of going abroad--away from all your friends, Mr.

t.i.tmouse."

"_Abroad_, sir!" interrupted t.i.tmouse, with anxious but subdued eagerness; "never thought of such a thing!"

"Oh! I--I thought"----

"There isn't a word of truth in it, sir; and if you've heard so, it must have been from that oudacious fellow that called on you--he's _such_ a liar--if you knew him as well as I do, sir!" said t.i.tmouse, with a confident air, quite losing sight of his piteous letter to Messrs.

Quirk, Gammon, and Snap--"No, sir--shall stay, and stick to friends that stick to me."

"Take another gla.s.s of wine, Mr. t.i.tmouse," interrupted Gammon, cordially, and t.i.tmouse obeyed him; but while he was pouring it out, a sudden recollection of his letter flashing across his mind, satisfied him that he stood detected in a flat lie before Mr. Gammon, and he blushed scarlet.

"Do you like the sherry?" inquired Gammon, perfectly aware of what was pa.s.sing through the little mind of his guest, and wishing to divert his thoughts. t.i.tmouse answered in the affirmative: and proceeded to pour forth such a number of apologies for his own behavior at Saffron Hill, and that of Huckaback on the subsequent occasion, as Gammon found it difficult to stop, over and over again a.s.suring him that all had been entirely forgiven and even forgotten. When t.i.tmouse came to the remittance of the five pounds----

"Don't mention it, my dear sir," interrupted Gammon, very blandly; "it gave me, I a.s.sure you, far greater satisfaction to send it, than you to receive it. I hope it has a little relieved you?"

"I think so, sir! I was, 'pon my life, on my very last legs."

"When things come to the worst, they often mend, Mr. t.i.tmouse! I told Mr. Quirk (who, to do him justice, came at last into my views) that, however premature, and perhaps imprudent it might be in us to go so far, I could not help relieving your present necessities, even out of my own resources."

[Oh, Gammon, Gammon!]

"How very uncommon kind of you, sir!" exclaimed t.i.tmouse.

"Not in the least, my dear sir--(pray fill another gla.s.s, Mr. t.i.tmouse!) You see Mr. Quirk is quite a man of business--and our profession too often affords instances of persons whose hearts contract as their purses expand, Mr. t.i.tmouse--ha! ha! Indeed, those who make their money as hard as Mr. Quirk, are apt to be slow at parting with it, and _very_ suspicious!"

"Well, I hope no offence, sir; but really I thought as much, directly I saw that old gent."

"Ah--but _now_ he is embarked, heart and soul, in the affair."

"No! _Is_ he really, sir?" inquired t.i.tmouse, eagerly.

"That is," replied Gammon, quickly, "so long as I am at his elbow, urging him on--for he wants some one who--hem! In fact, my dear sir, ever since I had the good fortune to make the discovery, which happily brought us acquainted with each other, Mr. t.i.tmouse," [it was old Quirk, as the reader will by and by find, who had made the discovery, and Gammon had for a long time thrown cold water on it,] "I have been doing all I could with him, and I trust I may say, have at last got the thing into shape."

"I'll take my oath, sir," said t.i.tmouse, excitedly, "I never was so much struck with any one in all my born days as I was with you, sir, when you first came to my emp--to Mr. Tag-rag's, sir--Lord, sir, how uncommon sharp you seemed!" Gammon smiled with a deprecating air, and sipped his wine in silence; but there was great sweetness in the expression of his countenance. Poor t.i.tmouse's doubts, hopes, and fears, were rapidly being sublimed into a _reverence_ for Gammon....

"I certainly quite agree with Mr. Quirk," said Gammon, presently, "that the difficulties in our way are of the most serious description. To speak, for an instant only, of the risks we ourselves incur personally--would you believe it, my dear Mr. t.i.tmouse?--in such a disgraceful state are our laws, that we can't gratify our feelings by taking up your cause, without rendering ourselves liable to imprisonment for Heaven knows how long, and a fine that would be ruin itself, if we should be found out!"

t.i.tmouse continued silent, his wine-gla.s.s in his hand arrested in its way to his mouth; which, together with his eyes, was opened to its widest extent, as he stared with a kind of terror upon Mr.

Gammon.--"_Are_ we, then, unreasonable, my dear sir, in entreating you to be cautious--nay, in insisting on your compliance with our wishes, in all that we shall deem prudent and necessary, when not only your own best interests, but our characters, liberties, and fortunes are staked on the issue of this great enterprise? I am sure," continued Gammon, with great emotion, "you will feel for us, Mr. t.i.tmouse. I see you do!"

Gammon put his hand over his eyes, in order, apparently, to conceal his emotion, but really to observe what effect he had produced upon t.i.tmouse. The conjoint influence of Gammon's wine and eloquence not a little agitated t.i.tmouse, in whose eyes stood tears.

"I'll do anything--anything, sir," t.i.tmouse almost sobbed.

"Oh! all we wish is to be allowed to serve you effectually; and to enable us to do that"----

"Tell me to get into a soot-bag, and lie hid in a coal-hole, and see if I won't do it!"

"What! a coal-hole? Would you, then, even stop at Tag-rag and Co.'s?"

"Ye-e-e-e-s, sir--hem! hem! That is, till the _tenth_ of next month, when my time's up."

"Ah!--ay!--oh, I understand! Another gla.s.s, Mr. t.i.tmouse," said Gammon, pouring himself out some more wine; and observing, while t.i.tmouse followed his example, that there was an unsteadiness in his motions of a very different description from that which he had exhibited at the commencement of the evening--at the same time wondering what the deuce they should do with him after the _tenth_ of August.

"You see, _I_ have the utmost confidence in you, and had so from the first happy moment when we met; but Mr. Quirk is rather sus--In short to prevent misunderstanding (as he says,) Mr. Quirk is anxious that you should give a _written_ promise." (t.i.tmouse looked eagerly about for writing materials.) "No, not now, but in a day or two's time. I confess, my dear Mr. t.i.tmouse, if _I_ might have decided on the matter, I should have been satisfied with your verbal promise; but I must say, Mr.

Quirk's gray hairs seem to have made him quite--eh! you understand?

Don't you think so, Mr. t.i.tmouse?"

"To be sure! 'pon my honor, Mr. Gammon!" replied t.i.tmouse; not very distinctly understanding, however, what he was so energetically a.s.senting to.

"I dare say you wonder why we wish you to stop a few months longer at your present hiding-place at Tag-rag's?"

"_Can't_, possibly!--after the tenth of next month, sir," replied t.i.tmouse, eagerly.

"But as soon as we begin to fire off our guns against the enemy--Lord, my dear sir, if they could only find out, you know, where to get at you--you would never live to enjoy your ten thousand a-year! They'd either poison or kidnap you--get you out of the way, unless you keep out of _their_ way: and if you will but consent to keep snug at Tag-rag's for a while, who'd suspect where you was? We could easily arrange with your friend Tag-rag that you should"----

"My stars! I'd give something to hear you tell Tag-rag--why, I wonder what he'll do!"

"Make you very comfortable, and let you have your own way in everything--that you may rely upon!"

"Go to the play, for instance, whenever I want, and do all that sort of thing?"

"Nay, try! anything! And as for money, I've persuaded Mr. Quirk to consent to our advancing you a certain sum per week, from the present time, while the cause is going on,"--(t.i.tmouse's heart began to beat fast,)--"in order to place you above absolute inconvenience; and when you consider the awful sums we shall have to disburse--cash out of pocket--(the tongues of counsel, you know, are set on gold springs, and only gold keys open their lips!)--for court-fees, and a thousand other indispensable matters, I should candidly say that four thousand pounds of hard cash out of pocket, advanced by our firm in your case, would be the very lowest." (t.i.tmouse stared at him with an expression of stupid wonder.) "Yes--four thousand pounds, Mr. t.i.tmouse, at the very least--the _very_ least." Again he paused, keenly scrutinizing t.i.tmouse's features by the light of the candles, which just then were brought in. "You seem surprised, Mr. t.i.tmouse."