hors in the adventures of
Gil Blas, were nothing to the disputants in the kennel at Charing Cross;
we rowed, swore, slanged with a Christian meekness and forbearance,
which would have rejoiced Mr. Wilberforce to the heart, and we were
already preparing ourselves for a more striking engagement, when we were
most unwelcomely interrupted by the presence of three watchmen.

"Take away this--this--d--d woman," hiccuped out Staunton, "She has
sto--len--(hiccup)--my watch"--(hiccup.)

"No such thing, watchman," hallooed out the accused, "the
b--counter-skipper never had any watch! he only filched a
twopenny-halfpenny gilt chain out of his master, Levi, the pawnbroker's
window, and stuck it in his eel-skin to make a show: ye did, ye pitiful,
lanky-chopped son of a dog-fish, ye did."

"Come, come," said the watchman, "move on, move on."

"You be d--d, for a Charley!" said one of our gang.

"Ho! ho! master jackanapes, I shall give you a cooling in the
watch-house, if you tips us any of your jaw. I dare say the young oman
here, is quite right about ye, and ye never had any watch at all, at
all."

"You are a d--d liar," cried Staunton; "and you are all in with each
other, like a pack of rogues as you are."

"I'll tell ye what, young gemman," said another watchman, who was a more
potent, grave, and reverend senior than his comrades, "if you do not
move on instantly, and let those decent young omen alone, I'll take you
all up before Sir Richard."

"Charley, my boy," said Dartmore, "did you ever get thrashed for
impertinence?"

The last mentioned watchman took upon himself the reply to this
interrogatory by a very summary proceeding: he collared Dartmore, and
his companions did the same kind office to us. This action was not
committed with impunity: in an instant two of the moon's minions,
staffs, lanterns, and all, were measuring their length at the foot of
their namesake of royal memory; the remaining Dogberry was, however,
a tougher assailant; he held Staunton so firmly in his gripe, that
the poor youth could scarcely breathe out a faint and feeble d--ye of
defiance, and with his disengaged hand he made such an admirable use of
his rattle, that we were surrounded in a trice.

As when an ant-hill is invaded, from every quarter and crevice of the
mound arise and pour out an angry host, of whose previous existence
the unwary assailant had not dreamt; so from every lane, and alley, and
street, and crossing, came fast and f