as to the manner in which she should employ
her three thousand pounds, but should take my offer into consideration;
begging me to keep my shares open for a little while, until her mind was
made up.

What, then, does Mr. Brough do? I learned afterwards, in the year 1830,
when he and the West Diddlesex Association had disappeared altogether,
how he had proceeded.

"Who are the attorneys at Slopperton?" says he to me in a careless way.

"Mr. Ruck, sir," says I, "is the Tory solicitor, and Messrs. Hodge and
Smithers the Liberals." I knew them very well, for the fact is, before
Mary Smith came to live in our parts, I was rather partial to Miss Hodge,
and her great gold-coloured ringlets; but Mary came and soon put _her_
nose out of joint, as the saying is.

"And you are of what politics?"

"Why, sir, we are Liberals." I was rather ashamed of this, for Mr.
Brough was an out-and-out Tory; but Hodge and Smithers is a most
respectable firm. I brought up a packet from them to Hickson, Dixon,
Paxton, and Jackson, _our_ solicitors, who are their London
correspondents.

Mr. Brough only said, "Oh, indeed!" and did not talk any further on the
subject, but began admiring my diamond-pin very much.

"Titmarsh, my dear boy," says he, "I have a young lady at Fulham who is
worth seeing, I assure you, and who has heard so much about you from her
father (for I like you, my boy, I don't care to own it), that she is
rather anxious to see you too. Suppose you come down to us for a week?
Abednego will do your work."

"Law, sir! you are very kind," says I.

"Well, you shall come down; and I hope you will like my claret. But hark
ye! I don't think, my dear fellow, you are quite smart enough--quite
well enough dressed. Do you understand me?"

"I've my blue coat and brass buttons at home, sir."

"What! that thing with the waist between your shoulders that you wore at
Mrs. Brough's party?" (It _was_ rather high-waisted, being made in the
country two years before.) "No--no, that will never do. Get some new
clothes, sir,--two new suits of clothes."

"Sir!" says I, "I'm already, if the truth must be told, very short of
money for this quarter, and can't afford myself a new suit for a long
time to come."

"Pooh, pooh! don't let that annoy you. Here's a ten-pound note--but no,
on second thoughts, you may as well go to my tailor's. I'll drive you
down there: and never mind the bill, my good lad!" And drive me down he
actually d