line
in the three kingdoms. Away I posted, full of hope and expectation
of becoming a second Caleb Quotem, not doubting but salary and
circumstances would turn out exactly to my wish."

"But I thought you liked independence," said Tallyho.

"Rather too much to engage in that concern," was the reply, "as you will
hear presently. Upon tracing out this gentleman who bore so strong a
recommendation to particular notice, you may guess my surprise upon
finding 'Purveyor of sausages' in gold letters over his door."

Dashall burst into an irresistible laugh, and was most cordially joined
by Sparkle and Tallyho, who were now strongly interested in the result
of Merrywell's account.

"When I arrived," continued Merry well, "this patron was reading the
newspaper, which he threw down immediately upon my entrance, having
mistaken me for a customer."

~~260~~~ "Survaut, Sir," said he, pulling down his greasy
waist-coat.--"I am come, Sir," said I, "to make some inquiry
concerning a vacant school-master-ship."--"Oh there again," resumed the
sausage-making churchwarden,--"Vy you are the seventeenth fellow that
has been here to-day a bothering me about this plaguy vacasey. How do
you read? you'll have a trial before me and my brother representative of
this parish, and my spouse will also attend the reading bouts. Now if
so be as you minds your hits, why then may be you'll be the dominy. But,
mind you, I don't like your sonorous voices, and my spouse--she knows
things quite as well as I do,--she vants a great deal of action, so
only you mind, loud and sonorous, and plenty of muscular motion for my
spouse, that's the vay to win; but I haven't any time to talk to you
now, you must call of an evening, when I am more at leisure, and then
I'll explain; so move off now, Sir, move off, for I sees a customer
coming--survant maum."--"Flesh and blood could bear no more, and
so"------"So what," said Sparkle; "did you knock him down in the midst
of his own sausages?"

"No, no, I knew too much of the law for that; but I cut the
churchwarden, and bolted from the sausage-shop, determined to embrace
law, physic, or divinity, in preference to cutting

"---------- The rumps
Of little school-boy Jackies."

"The study of the law was rather compulsory than voluntary, for during
my residence in the College I was under the necessity of devoting some
part of my time to, though I felt no great partiality for it; and you
know law is