he outer office. The stranger had
left his hat in Mr Witherden's room, and seemed to have established
himself in this short interval on quite a friendly footing.

'I'll not detain you any longer now,' he said, putting a crown into
Kit's hand, and looking towards the Notary. 'You shall hear from me
again. Not a word of this, you know, except to your master and
mistress.'

'Mother, sir, would be glad to know--' said Kit, faltering.

'Glad to know what?'

'Anything--so that it was no harm--about Miss Nell.'

'Would she? Well then, you may tell her if she can keep a secret. But
mind, not a word of this to anybody else. Don't forget that. Be
particular.'

'I'll take care, sir,' said Kit. 'Thankee, sir, and good morning.'

Now, it happened that the gentleman, in his anxiety to impress upon Kit
that he was not to tell anybody what had passed between them, followed
him out to the door to repeat his caution, and it further happened that
at that moment the eyes of Mr Richard Swiveller were turned in that
direction, and beheld his mysterious friend and Kit together.

It was quite an accident, and the way in which it came about was this.
Mr Chuckster, being a gentleman of a cultivated taste and refined
spirit, was one of that Lodge of Glorious Apollos whereof Mr Swiveller
was Perpetual Grand. Mr Swiveller, passing through the street in the
execution of some Brazen errand, and beholding one of his Glorious
Brotherhood intently gazing on a pony, crossed over to give him that
fraternal greeting with which Perpetual Grands are, by the very
constitution of their office, bound to cheer and encourage their
disciples. He had scarcely bestowed upon him his blessing, and
followed it with a general remark touching the present state and
prospects of the weather, when, lifting up his eyes, he beheld the
single gentleman of Bevis Marks in earnest conversation with
Christopher Nubbles.

'Hallo!' said Dick, 'who is that?'

'He called to see my Governor this morning,' replied Mr Chuckster;
'beyond that, I don't know him from Adam.'

'At least you know his name?' said Dick.

To which Mr Chuckster replied, with an elevation of speech becoming a
Glorious Apollo, that he was 'everlastingly blessed' if he did.

'All I know, my dear feller,' said Mr Chuckster, running his fingers
through his hair, 'is, that he is the cause of my having stood here
twenty minutes, for which I hate him with a mortal and undying hatred,
and would p