ialogue, and the Jury would have seen at once how the
mistake arose. On the other hand, he would have been exposed to a severe
rating cross examination by the learned Serjeant--fortified by Winkle's
most damaging slip about the White Horse incident--who would have forced
out of him all the incidents. We can almost hear the Serjeant subject
the Defendant to the torture.

"This fellow of yours, Sir, was he recommended to you by a friend?"

"No--not at all."

"By a Registry Office?"

"Certainly not--nothing of the kind."

"Nothing of the kind? I suppose too low a class of place for you, eh?
Come Sir!"

"I never said such a thing."

"Nor thought it, I suppose? Come, Sir, no beating about the bush. In
plain terms, did you get him from a low Public House in the Boro'?"

Mr. Pickwick started up.

"Never!"

"Do you deny it?"

"I never knew that the White Hart was a low Public-House," said the
witness indignantly.

"Never mind what you know, Sir. Did you or did you not get him from
there?" thundered the Serjeant.

"Of course I did."

"Of course you did. Then what's the use of all this juggling. It does
you no good with My Lord and the Jury. I tell you plainly, Mr. Pickwick,
we mean to have all out of you. Now Sir, was this man of yours an
experienced valet?"

"Certainly not."

"He had, of course, some training in his profession in other families?"

"Not that I know of."

"Not that you know of. Do you dare to persist in that, Sir?"

"Why not?"

"Don't ask _me_ questions, Sir, I'm asking _you_. Do you deny, Sir, that
the man was neither more nor less than a common Boots in the yard of a
Public House, wearing an old tattered hat and jacket--very different from
the suit in which you have rigged him up here to-day?"

Mr. Pickwick was astonished and silent. He was suffering. He had never
dreamed of this view.

"Why," he said, "I suppose--"

"We want none of your supposes, Sir, answer yes or no."

"Well he certainly was such as you describe."

A flutter ran round the court.

"And this creature of yours, you would impose on the Jury as a trained
man servant. You may go down Sir."

PLEA FOR "DODSON AND FOGG."

This famous firm of city attornies has become a bye-word in legal
history--being considered the most notorious of practitioners for sharp,
underhand, scheming practices. Boz was always vehement against the
abuses of the law, but his generous ardour sometimes led him to