etc."
This was rather gentlemanly and becoming. One offered his hand. But Mr.
Pickwick broke out in a perfect fury. They had assumed a tone of
forgiveness which was "an excess of impudence." He had been "the victim
of their plots and conspiracies." They had imprisoned and robbed him.
It was "insolent familiarity." At last he said, "_You are a well-matched
pair of mean_, _rascally_, _pettifogging robbers_." This sentence he
repeated three times, and the words "Robbers" he shouted after them many
times over the stairs.

Sharping attornies! Why, a real sharping firm would have forced from
their client advances of fee, "cash out of pocket," have made her give a
Bill of Sale on her lease and goods, and have fairly stripped her of
everything before the case began. Of the damages--had they got them--she
would have seen but little.

The _Cognovit_ that was extracted from Mrs. Bardell was an
acknowledgement, as we have seen, which entitled them to enter up
judgment just as if a trial had taken place. In the Oxford great
Dictionary, it reads quaintly to find Mrs. Bardell's cognovit quoted as
an illustration of the legal meaning.

The Turnkey, on her arrest, had told Sam that she had been brought to the
Fleet, "on a Cognovit for costs," Sam imparted this news to Job Trotter,
and sent him off, hot foot, to Perker in Montague Place. This outcast,
was able to tell him, "it seems they got a _Cognovit_ out of her for the
amount of the costs, directly after the trial!"

Boz, on this occasion, gives us a happy glimpse of Solicitor life.

Mr. Perker had a dinner party that day, which was certified by the
lights in the drawing-room windows, the sound of an improved grand
piano, and an improveable cabinet voice issuing therefrom; and a
rather overpowering smell of meat which prevaded the steps and entry.
In fact, a couple of very good country agencies happening to come up
to town at the same time, an agreeable little party had been got
together to meet them, comprising Mr. Snicks the Life Office
Secretary, Mr. Prosee the eminent counsel, three solicitors, one
commissioner of bankrupts, a special pleader from the Temple, a
small-eyed peremptory young gentleman, his pupil, who had written a
lively book about the law of demises, with a vast quantity of
marginal notes and references; and several other eminent and
distinguished personages. From this society little Mr. Perker