u may'st triumph now,
but little dreamest thou what is in store for thee at the trial. Wait
till all those little insignificant points, hardly visible at present,
shall rise, like spear-heads against thee at the Old Bailey and thrust
thee through and through and make thee curse the advocate's skill and the
thief's impudence and the inertness of the so-called Public Prosecutor:
and mayhap, I know not yet, show thee how wrong and robbery may triumph
over right and innocence. Thou hast raised thyself, good Bumpkin, from
the humblest poverty to comparative wealth and a lawsuit: but boast not
overmuch lest thou find Law a taskmaster instead of a Protector!

Thus, moralizing in my dream I perceived that Mr. Bumpkin after talking
to some men betook himself to a Bus and proceeded on his way to the
"Goose" at Westminster, whither he arrived in due time and in high
spirits.

The Goose was a nice cosy public-house, situated, as I before observed,
near the river side and commanded a beautiful view of the neighbouring
wharves and the passing craft. It was a favourite resort of waterside
men, carters, carriers, labourers on the wharf and men out of work. The
Military also patronized it:--And many were the jovial tales told around
the taproom hearth by members of Her Majesty's troops to admiring and
astonished Ignorance.

It was a particularly cold and bleak day, this ninth of March one
thousand eight hundred and something. The wind was due East and
accompanied ever and anon with mighty thick clouds of sleet and snow.
The fireside therefore was particularly comfortable, and the cheery faces
around the hearth were pleasant to behold.

Now Mr. Bumpkin, as the reader knows, was not alone in his expedition.
He had his witness, named Joseph Wurzel: called in the village "Cocky,"
inasmuch as it was generally considered that he set much by his wisdom:
and was possessed of considerable attainments. For instance, he could
snare a hare as well as any man in the county: or whistle down pheasants
to partake of a Buckwheat refection which he was in the habit of
spreading for their repast.

A good many fellows who were envious of Joe's abilities avowed that "he
was a regler cunnin' feller, as ud some day find out his mistake;"
meaning thereby that Joe would inevitably be sent to prison. Others
affirmed that he was a good deal too cunning for that; that he was a
regular artful dodger, and knew how to get round the vicar and all in
autho