ll said, Mr Chuzzlewit!' cried Wolf.

'Tom Gag, upon my soul!' said Pip.

'Positively, you know, that's--ha, ha, ha!' observed the doctor, laying
down his knife and fork for one instant, and then going to work again,
pell-mell--'that's epigrammatic; quite!'

'You're tolerably comfortable, I hope?' said Tigg, apart to Jonas.

'Oh! You needn't trouble your head about ME,' he replied, 'Famous!'

'I thought it best not to have a party,' said Tigg. 'You feel that?'

'Why, what do you call this?' retorted Jonas. 'You don't mean to say you
do this every day, do you?'

'My dear fellow,' said Montague, shrugging his shoulders, 'every day of
my life, when I dine at home. This is my common style. It was of no use
having anything uncommon for you. You'd have seen through it. "You'll
have a party?" said Crimple. "No, I won't," I said, "he shall take us in
the rough!"

'And pretty smooth, too, ecod!' said Jonas, glancing round the table.
'This don't cost a trifle.'

'Why, to be candid with you, it does not,' returned the other. 'But I
like this sort of thing. It's the way I spend my money.'

Jonas thrust his tongue into his cheek, and said, 'Was it?'

'When you join us, you won't get rid of your share of the profits in the
same way?' said Tigg.

'Quite different,' retorted Jonas.

'Well, and you're right,' said Tigg, with friendly candour. 'You
needn't. It's not necessary. One of a Company must do it to hold
the connection together; but, as I take a pleasure in it, that's my
department. You don't mind dining expensively at another man's expense,
I hope?'

'Not a bit,' said Jonas.

'Then I hope you'll often dine with me?'

'Ah!' said Jonas, 'I don't mind. On the contrary.'

'And I'll never attempt to talk business to you over wine, I take my
oath,' said Tigg. 'Oh deep, deep, deep of you this morning! I must tell
'em that. They're the very men to enjoy it. Pip, my good fellow, I've
a splendid little trait to tell you of my friend Chuzzlewit who is
the deepest dog I know; I give you my sacred word of honour he is the
deepest dog I know, Pip!'

Pip swore a frightful oath that he was sure of it already; and
the anecdote, being told, was received with loud applause, as an
incontestable proof of Mr Jonas's greatness. Pip, in a natural spirit of
emulation, then related some instances of his own depth; and Wolf not
to be left behind-hand, recited the leading points of one or two vastly
humorous articles he was then prep