eeter than
honey;[3] and I should not be surprised if he were to succeed in
bringing back that little stubborn piece of conceited stupidity.

As soon as Mr. Titmouse heard the street door shut after him with a kind
of _bang_, he snapped his fingers once or twice, by way of letting off a
little of the inflammable air that was in him, and muttered, "Pretty
chaps those, upon my soul!" said he, disdainfully. "I'll expose them
all! I'll apply to the lord-mayor--they're a pack of swindlers, they
are! This is the way they treat _me_, who've got a title to L10,000
a-year! To be sure"--He stood still for a moment--and another
moment--and another--and then dismay came quickly over him; for the
thought suddenly occurred to his partially obfuscated intellect--what
_hold_ had he got on Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap?--what _could_ he
do?--or rather, what HAD he done?

Ah--the golden vision of the last few hours was fading away
momentarily, like a dream! Each second of his deep and rapid reflection,
rendered more impetuous his desire and determination to return and make
his peace with Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap. By submission for the
present, he could get the whip-hand of them hereafter! He was in the act
of turning round towards the office, when Mr. Gammon gently laid his
hand upon the shoulder of his repentant client.

"Mr. Titmouse! my dear sir," said Mr. Gammon, softly, "what is the
matter with you? How could we so misunderstand each other?"

Titmouse's small cunning was on the _qui vive_, and he saw and followed
up his advantage. "I am going," said he, in a resolute tone, "to speak
to some one else in the morning."

"Ah, to be sure!" replied Mr. Gammon, with a smile of utter
unconcern--"I supposed as much--'tis a matter which of course, however,
signifies nothing to any one--but yourself. You will take any steps, my
dear sir, that occur to you, and act as you may be advised!"

"Monstrous kind of you, 'pon my life! to come and give me such good
advice!" exclaimed Titmouse, with a sneer--but consciously baffled.

"Oh, don't mention it!" said Gammon, coolly; "I came out of pure
good-nature, to assure you that our office, notwithstanding what has
passed, entertains not the slightest personal ill feeling towards you,
in thus throwing off our hands a fearfully expensive, and most harassing
enterprise--which we have feared from the first had been too rashly
undertaken"----

"Hem!" exclaimed Titmouse, involuntarily, once