I am tired of bachelordom, sir, and am going to change!"

With these words, Mr. Roundjacket executed a pirouette upon his
rheumatic leg, which caused him to fall back in his chair, making the
most extraordinary faces, which we can compare to nothing but the
contortions of a child who bites a crab-apple by mistake.

The twinge soon spent its force, however; and then Mr. Roundjacket and
Verty resumed their colloquy--after which, Verty rose and took his
leave, smiling and laughing to himself, at times.

He had reason. Miss Lavinia, who had denounced wife-hunters, was
about to espouse Mr. Roundjacket, who had declared matrimony the most
miserable of mortal conditions; all which is calculated to raise our
opinion of the consistency of human nature in a most wonderful degree.

CHAPTER LVIII.

HOW MR. RUSHTON PROVED THAT ALL MEN WERE SELFISH, HIMSELF INCLUDED.

Leaving Mr. Roundjacket contemplating the ceiling, and reflecting upon
the various questions connected with bachelorship and matrimony, Verty
returned to the office, and reported to Mr. Rushton that the poet was
rapidly improving, and would probably be at his post on the morrow.

This intelligence was received with a growl, which had become,
however, so familiar an expression of feeling to the young man, that
he did not regard it.

"Well, sir," said Mr. Rushton, "what news is there about town?"

"News, sir? I heard none."

"Did'nt you pass along the streets?"

"Yes, sir."

"And you met nobody?"

"Oh, yes; I met Ralph, and Mr. Jinks, and others."

"Jinks! I'll score that Jinks yet!" said Mr. Rushton; "he is an
impertinent jackanapes, and deserves to be put in the stocks."

"I don't like him much," said Verty, smiling, "I think he is very
foolish."

"Hum! I have no doubt of it: he had the audacity to come here once and
ask an _opinion_ of me without offering the least fee."

"An opinion, sir?"

"Yes, sir; have you been thus long in the profession, or in contact
with the profession," added Mr. Rushton, correcting himself, "without
learning what an _opinion_ is?"

"Oh, sir--I think I understand now--it is--"

"A very gratifying circumstance that you do," said Mr. Rushton, with
the air of a good-natured grizzly bear. "Well, sir, that fellow, I
say, had the audacity to consult me upon a legal point--whether the
tailor O'Brallaghan, being bound over to keep the peace, could attack
him without forfeiting his recognizances--that villain Jinks, I