n' crushed; and findin' that
there ain't no credit for me nowhere; I abandons myself to despair,
and says, "Let me do that as has the least credit in it of all; marry a
dear, sweet creetur, as is wery fond of me; me bein', at the same time,
wery fond of her; lead a happy life, and struggle no more again' the
blight which settles on my prospects."'

'If your philosophy, Mark,' said Tom, who laughed heartily at this
speech, 'be the oddest I ever heard of, it is not the least wise. Mrs
Lupin has said "yes," of course?'

'Why, no, sir,' replied Mr Tapley; 'she hasn't gone so far as that yet.
Which I attribute principally to my not havin' asked her. But we was
wery agreeable together--comfortable, I may say--the night I come home.
It's all right, sir.'

'Well!' said Tom, stopping at the Temple Gate. 'I wish you joy, Mark,
with all my heart. I shall see you again to-day, I dare say. Good-bye
for the present.'

'Good-bye, sir! Good-bye, Mr Pinch!' he added by way of soliloquy, as
he stood looking after him. 'Although you ARE a damper to a honourable
ambition. You little think it, but you was the first to dash my hopes.
Pecksniff would have built me up for life, but your sweet temper pulled
me down. Good-bye, Mr Pinch!'

While these confidences were interchanged between Tom Pinch and Mark,
Martin and John Westlock were very differently engaged. They were no
sooner left alone together than Martin said, with an effort he could not
disguise:

'Mr Westlock, we have met only once before, but you have known Tom a
long while, and that seems to render you familiar to me. I cannot
talk freely with you on any subject unless I relieve my mind of what
oppresses it just now. I see with pain that you so far mistrust me that
you think me likely to impose on Tom's regardlessness of himself, or on
his kind nature, or some of his good qualities.'

'I had no intention,' replied John, 'of conveying any such impression to
you, and am exceedingly sorry to have done so.'

'But you entertain it?' said Martin.

'You ask me so pointedly and directly,' returned the other, 'that I
cannot deny the having accustomed myself to regard you as one who,
not in wantonness but in mere thoughtlessness of character, did not
sufficiently consider his nature and did not quite treat it as it
deserves to be treated. It is much easier to slight than to appreciate
Tom Pinch.'

This was not said warmly, but was energetically spoken too; for there
was no subje