ve been taken up by Hopping Ned and Biting Giles, but
that grin of his caused him to be noticed by a much greater person than
either; an attorney observing it took a liking to the lad, and prophesied
that he would some day be heard of in the world; and in order to give him
the first lift, took him into his office, at first to light fires and do
such kind of work, and after a little time taught him to write, then
promoted him to a desk, articled him afterwards, and being unmarried and
without children, left him what he had when he died. The young fellow,
after practising at the law some time, went to the bar, where, in a few
years, helped on by his grin, for he had nothing else to recommend him,
he became, as I said before, a rising barrister. He comes our circuit,
and I occasionally employ him, when I am obliged to go to law about such
a thing as an unsound horse. He generally brings me through--or rather
that grin of his does--and yet I don't like the fellow, confound him, but
I'm an oddity; no, the one I like, and whom I generally employ, is a
fellow quite different, a bluff sturdy dog, with no grin on his face, but
with a look which seems to say I am an honest man, and what cares I for
anyone. And an honest man he is, and something more. I have known coves
with a better gift of the gab, though not many, but he always speaks to
the purpose, and understands law thoroughly; and that's not all. When at
college, for he has been at college, he carried off everything before him
as a Latiner, and was first-rate at a game they called matthew mattocks.
I don't know exactly what it is, but I have heard that he who is
first-rate at matthew mattocks {271} is thought more of than if he were
first-rate Latiner.

'Well, the chap that I'm talking about, not only came out first-rate
Latiner, but first-rate at matthew mattocks too; doing, in fact, as I am
told by those who knows, for I was never at college myself, what no one
had ever done before. Well, he makes his appearance at our circuit, does
very well, of course, but he has a somewhat high front, as becomes an
honest man, and one who has beat every one at Latin and matthew mattocks;
and who can speak first-rate law and sense;--but see now, the cove with
the grin, who has like myself never been at college; knows nothing of
Latin, or matthew mattocks, and has no particular gift of the gab, has
two briefs for his one, and I suppose very properly, for that grin of his
curries f