as in
the like enviable condition, both gentlemen, in compliance with a
solemn custom of the ancient Brotherhood to which they belonged, joined
in a fragment of the popular duet of 'All's Well,' with a long shake'
at the end.

'And what's the news?' said Richard.

'The town's as flat, my dear feller,' replied Mr Chuckster, 'as the
surface of a Dutch oven. There's no news. By-the-bye, that lodger of
yours is a most extraordinary person. He quite eludes the most
vigorous comprehension, you know. Never was such a feller!'

'What has he been doing now?' said Dick.

'By Jove, Sir,' returned Mr Chuckster, taking out an oblong snuff-box,
the lid whereof was ornamented with a fox's head curiously carved in
brass, 'that man is an unfathomable. Sir, that man has made friends
with our articled clerk. There's no harm in him, but he is so
amazingly slow and soft. Now, if he wanted a friend, why couldn't he
have one that knew a thing or two, and could do him some good by his
manners and conversation. I have my faults, sir,' said Mr Chuckster--

'No, no,' interposed Mr Swiveller.

'Oh yes I have, I have my faults, no man knows his faults better than I
know mine. But,' said Mr Chuckster, 'I'm not meek. My worst
enemies--every man has his enemies, Sir, and I have mine--never
accused me of being meek. And I tell you what, Sir, if I hadn't more
of these qualities that commonly endear man to man, than our articled
clerk has, I'd steal a Cheshire cheese, tie it round my neck, and drown
myself. I'd die degraded, as I had lived. I would upon my honour.'

Mr Chuckster paused, rapped the fox's head exactly on the nose with the
knuckle of the fore-finger, took a pinch of snuff, and looked steadily
at Mr Swiveller, as much as to say that if he thought he was going to
sneeze, he would find himself mistaken.

'Not contented, Sir,' said Mr Chuckster, 'with making friends with
Abel, he has cultivated the acquaintance of his father and mother.
Since he came home from that wild-goose chase, he has been there--
actually been there. He patronises young Snobby besides; you'll find,
Sir, that he'll be constantly coming backwards and forwards to this
place: yet I don't suppose that beyond the common forms of civility, he
has ever exchanged half-a-dozen words with me. Now, upon my soul, you
know,' said Mr Chuckster, shaking his head gravely, as men are wont to
do when they consider things are going a little too far, 'this is
altogeth