es began to feel
strange influences creeping over him--horrible desires to annihilate
this Sally Brass--mysterious promptings to knock her head-dress off and
try how she looked without it. There was a very large ruler on the
table; a large, black, shining ruler. Mr Swiveller took it up and
began to rub his nose with it.

From rubbing his nose with the ruler, to poising it in his hand and
giving it an occasional flourish after the tomahawk manner, the
transition was easy and natural. In some of these flourishes it went
close to Miss Sally's head; the ragged edges of the head-dress
fluttered with the wind it raised; advance it but an inch, and that
great brown knot was on the ground: yet still the unconscious maiden
worked away, and never raised her eyes.

Well, this was a great relief. It was a good thing to write doggedly
and obstinately until he was desperate, and then snatch up the ruler
and whirl it about the brown head-dress with the consciousness that he
could have it off if he liked. It was a good thing to draw it back,
and rub his nose very hard with it, if he thought Miss Sally was going
to look up, and to recompense himself with more hardy flourishes when
he found she was still absorbed. By these means Mr Swiveller calmed
the agitation of his feelings, until his applications to the ruler
became less fierce and frequent, and he could even write as many as
half-a-dozen consecutive lines without having recourse to it--which was
a great victory.

CHAPTER 34

In course of time, that is to say, after a couple of hours or so, of
diligent application, Miss Brass arrived at the conclusion of her task,
and recorded the fact by wiping her pen upon the green gown, and taking
a pinch of snuff from a little round tin box which she carried in her
pocket. Having disposed of this temperate refreshment, she arose from
her stool, tied her papers into a formal packet with red tape, and
taking them under her arm, marched out of the office.

Mr Swiveller had scarcely sprung off his seat and commenced the
performance of a maniac hornpipe, when he was interrupted, in the
fulness of his joy at being again alone, by the opening of the door,
and the reappearance of Miss Sally's head.

'I am going out,' said Miss Brass.

'Very good, ma'am,' returned Dick. 'And don't hurry yourself on my
account to come back, ma'am,' he added inwardly.

'If anybody comes on office business, take their messages, and say that
the gen