word of preparation, took him by the
throat, and shook him until his head seemed loose upon his shoulders.

The boy, who in the midst of his astonishment could not help staring
wildly at the gentleman with so many white teeth who was choking him,
and at the office walls, as though determined, if he were choked, that
his last look should be at the mysteries for his intrusion into which he
was paying such a severe penalty, at last contrived to utter--

'Come, Sir! You let me alone, will you!'

'Let you alone!' said Mr Carker. 'What! I have got you, have I?' There
was no doubt of that, and tightly too. 'You dog,' said Mr Carker,
through his set jaws, 'I'll strangle you!'

Biler whimpered, would he though? oh no he wouldn't--and what was he
doing of--and why didn't he strangle some--body of his own size and not
him: but Biler was quelled by the extraordinary nature of his reception,
and, as his head became stationary, and he looked the gentleman in the
face, or rather in the teeth, and saw him snarling at him, he so far
forgot his manhood as to cry.

'I haven't done nothing to you, Sir,' said Biler, otherwise Rob,
otherwise Grinder, and always Toodle.

'You young scoundrel!' replied Mr Carker, slowly releasing him, and
moving back a step into his favourite position. 'What do you mean by
daring to come here?'

'I didn't mean no harm, Sir,' whimpered Rob, putting one hand to his
throat, and the knuckles of the other to his eyes. 'I'll never come
again, Sir. I only wanted work.'

'Work, young Cain that you are!' repeated Mr Carker, eyeing him
narrowly. 'Ain't you the idlest vagabond in London?'

The impeachment, while it much affected Mr Toodle Junior, attached to
his character so justly, that he could not say a word in denial.
He stood looking at the gentleman, therefore, with a frightened,
self-convicted, and remorseful air. As to his looking at him, it may be
observed that he was fascinated by Mr Carker, and never took his round
eyes off him for an instant.

'Ain't you a thief?' said Mr Carker, with his hands behind him in his
pockets.

'No, sir,' pleaded Rob.

'You are!' said Mr Carker.

'I ain't indeed, Sir,' whimpered Rob. 'I never did such a thing as
thieve, Sir, if you'll believe me. I know I've been a going wrong, Sir,
ever since I took to bird-catching' and walking-matching. I'm sure a
cove might think,' said Mr Toodle Junior, with a burst of penitence,
'that singing birds was innocent company, but n