prey; and, when
gorged and helpless, behold, it was immediately fallen upon by two other
snakes. To his disturbed fancy, there was a dim resemblance between
their heads and those of Quirk and Snap--they all three became
intertwisted together--and writhed and struggled till they fell over the
edge of a dark and frightful precipice--he woke--thank God! it was only
a dream.

CHAPTER V.

When, after his return from Mr. Gammon's chambers, at Thavies' Inn,
Titmouse woke at an early hour in the morning, he was laboring under the
ordinary effects of unaccustomed inebriety. His lips were perfectly
parched; his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth; there was a horrid
weight pressing on his aching eyes, and upon his throbbing head. His
pillow seemed undulating beneath him, and everything swimming around
him; but when, to crown the whole, he was roused from a momentary nap by
the insupportable--the loathed importunities of Mrs. Squallop, that he
would just sit up and partake of three thick rounds of hot buttered
toast, and a great basin of smoking tea, which would do him _so_ much
good, and settle his stomach--at all events, if he'd only have a
thimbleful of gin in it--poor Titmouse was fairly overcome!... He lay in
bed all that day, during which he underwent very severe sufferings; and
it was not till towards night that he began to have anything like a
distinct recollection of the events of the evening which he had spent
with Mr. Gammon; who, by the way, had sent one of the clerks, during the
afternoon, to inquire after him. He did not get out of bed on the
Tuesday till past twelve o'clock, when, in a very rickety condition, he
made his appearance at the shop of Messrs. Tag-rag and Co.; on
approaching which he felt a sudden faintness, arising from mingled
apprehension and disgust.

"What are you doing here, sir?--You're no longer in my employment, sir,"
exclaimed Tag-rag, attempting to speak calmly, as he hurried down the
shop, white with rage, to meet Titmouse, and planted himself right in
the way of his languid and pallid shopman.

"Sir!"--faintly exclaimed Titmouse, with his hat in his hand.

"Very much obliged, sir--very! by the offer of your valuable services,"
said Tag-rag. "But--_that's_ the way out again,
sir--that!--there!--good-morning, sir--good-morning, sir!--that's the
way out"--and he egged on Titmouse, till he had got him fairly into the
street--with infinite difficulty restraining himself from giving