eware of debt."

I could not conceive why Brough was reading me this lecture about debt
and my having bought the diamond-pin, as I knew that he had been asking
about it already, and how I came by it--Abednego told me so. "Why, sir,"
says I, "Mr. Abednego told me that he had told you that I had told him--"

"Oh, ay-by-the-bye, now I recollect, Mr. Titmarsh--I do recollect--yes;
though I suppose, sir, you will imagine that I have other more important
things to remember."

"Oh, sir, in course," says I.

"That one of the clerks _did_ say something about a pin--that one of the
other gentlemen had it. And so your pin was given you, was it?"

"It was given me, sir, by my aunt, Mrs. Hoggarty of Castle Hoggarty,"
said I, raising my voice; for I was a little proud of Castle Hoggarty.

"She must be very rich to make such presents, Titmarsh?"

"Why, thank you, sir," says I, "she is pretty well off. Four hundred a
year jointure; a farm at Slopperton, sir; three houses at Squashtail; and
three thousand two hundred loose cash at the banker's, as I happen to
know, sir,--_that's all_."

I did happen to know this, you see; because, while I was down in
Somersetshire, Mr. MacManus, my aunt's agent in Ireland, wrote to say
that a mortgage she had on Lord Brallaghan's property had just been paid
off, and that the money was lodged at Coutts's. Ireland was in a very
disturbed state in those days; and my aunt wisely determined not to
invest her money in that country any more, but to look out for some good
security in England. However, as she had always received six per cent.
in Ireland, she would not hear of a smaller interest; and had warned me,
as I was a commercial man, on coming to town, to look out for some means
by which she could invest her money at that rate at least.

"And how do you come to know Mrs. Hoggarty's property so accurately?"
said Mr. Brough; upon which I told him.

"Good heavens, sir! and do you mean that you, a clerk in the West
Diddlesex Insurance Office, applied to by a respectable lady as to the
manner in which she should invest property, never spoke to her about the
Company which you have the honour to serve? Do you mean, sir, that you,
knowing there was a bonus of five per cent. for yourself upon shares
taken, did not press Mrs. Hoggarty to join us?"

"Sir," says I, "I'm an honest man, and would not take a bonus from my own
relation."

"Honest I know you are, my boy--give me your hand! So am I hone