s spoke at the top of his voice, and always said the same thing
half-a-dozen times.

'How are you, my hearty?'

'How do you do, Mr. Budden?--pray take a chair!' politely stammered the
discomfited Minns.

'Thank you--thank you--well--how are you, eh?'

'Uncommonly well, thank you,' said Minns, casting a diabolical look at
the dog, who, with his hind legs on the floor, and his fore paws resting
on the table, was dragging a bit of bread and butter out of a plate,
preparatory to devouring it, with the buttered side next the carpet.

'Ah, you rogue!' said Budden to his dog; 'you see, Minns, he's like me,
always at home, eh, my boy!--Egad, I'm precious hot and hungry! I've
walked all the way from Stamford-hill this morning.'

'Have you breakfasted?' inquired Minns.

'Oh, no!--came to breakfast with you; so ring the bell, my dear fellow,
will you? and let's have another cup and saucer, and the cold ham.--Make
myself at home, you see!' continued Budden, dusting his boots with a
table-napkin. 'Ha!--ha!--ha!--'pon my life, I'm hungry.'

Minns rang the bell, and tried to smile.

'I decidedly never was so hot in my life,' continued Octavius, wiping his
forehead; 'well, but how are you, Minns? 'Pon my soul, you wear
capitally!'

'D'ye think so?' said Minns; and he tried another smile.

''Pon my life, I do!'

'Mrs. B. and--what's his name--quite well?'

'Alick--my son, you mean; never better--never better. But at such a
place as we've got at Poplar-walk, you know, he couldn't be ill if he
tried. When I first saw it, by Jove! it looked so knowing, with the
front garden, and the green railings and the brass knocker, and all
that--I really thought it was a cut above me.'

'Don't you think you'd like the ham better,' interrupted Minns, 'if you
cut it the other way?' He saw, with feelings which it is impossible to
describe, that his visitor was cutting or rather maiming the ham, in
utter violation of all established rules.

'No, thank ye,' returned Budden, with the most barbarous indifference to
crime, 'I prefer it this way, it eats short. But I say, Minns, when will
you come down and see us? You will be delighted with the place; I know
you will. Amelia and I were talking about you the other night, and
Amelia said--another lump of sugar, please; thank ye--she said, don't you
think you could contrive, my dear, to say to Mr. Minns, in a friendly
way--come down, sir--damn the dog! he's spoiling your curtains,
Minn