t the other day; a money-lender
he was."

"Did ur now?"

"Look at that," said Joe.

"And we're going to have Mr. Dynamite for junior; my eye, don't he make a
row!"

"Two an em!" exclaimed Bumpkin.

"Must have two for the plaintiff," said Horatio; "that's the law. Why, a
Queen's Counsel ain't allowed to open a case without a junior starts
him--it's jist like the engine-driver and the guard. You have the junior
to shove the leader."

"Look at that," said Joe; expectorating into the fire.

Mr. Bumpkin looked again at Nancy, and gave another wink that you might
have heard.

"And the tother side?" he asked.

"Ah! I don't know about them," said the boy. "They're artful dodgers,
they are."

"Is 'em now? but artfulness don't allays win, do ur?"

"No," said Horatio; "but it goes a long way, and sometimes when it's gone
a long way it beats itself."

"Look at that," said Joe; "that's like that ere--"

"Be quiet, Joe," said Bumpkin; "let I talk, will ur? You said it beats
itself, sir?"

"If the judge gets 'old of him, it's sure to," said Horatio. "There
ain't no judge on the Bench as will let artfulness win if he knows it.
I've sin em watchin like a cat watches a mouse; and directly it comes out
o' the 'ole, down he is on em--like that:" and he slapped his hand on the
table with startling effect.

"Good!" said Bumpkin.

"And don't they know who the solicitor is, eh--that's all! My word, if
he's a shady one--the judge is down on the case like winkin."

"And be this ere Locust a shady un?" (Another wink at Mrs. Bumpkin.)

"Ah! I'm too young to know."

"Thee beest too old, thee meanest," said Mrs. Bumpkin, laughing.

"Now hold thee tongue, Nancy; I wur gwine to say that myself--dang if I
warnt!"

"Now look at thic," said Joe; "maister were gwine to say thic."

"So I wur," repeated Bumpkin. "Jist got the word o' th' tip o' th'
tongue."

"And be these Queen's Counsellors," he asked, "summat grand?"

"I believe you," said Horatio; "they wears silk gowns."

"Do em?" said Mrs. Bumpkin, laughing. "Silk gowns--and what kind o'
petticoats?"

"Shut up," said Bumpkin; "thee be as igorant as a donkey; these Queen's
Counsellors be made for their larnin and cleverness, beant em, sir?"

"Well," said Horatio, "nobody ever could make out--some of em are pretty
good, and some of em ain't much--not near so good as the others."

"But this ere Mr. Catapult be a good un, bean't he--a regler crunsher?"

"O