mes over; so will all my young men!"
replied Tag-rag, vehemently.

"And in a court of justice, Mr. Tag-rag?" said Mr. Gammon, emphatically.

"Oh! he is going to _law_, is he? Ah, ha! Bless my soul!--So _that's_
why you're come here--ah, ha!--when you can make a silk purse out of a
sow's ear, you may get your bill out of Mr. Tittlebat Titmouse!--ha, ha,
ha!" laughed Tag-rag, hoping thereby to conceal how much he was really
startled.

"Well--that's _our_ look-out, Mr. Tag-rag: to Mr. Titmouse, his
character is as valuable as Mr. Tag-rag's is to him. In short, Mr.
Titmouse has placed himself in our hands, and we are resolved to go on
with the case, if it cost us a hundred pounds--we are indeed, Mr.
Tag-rag."

"Why--he's not a penny in the world to go to law with!" exclaimed
Tag-rag, with an air of mingled wonder, scorn, and alarm.

"But you forget, Mr. Tag-rag, that if Mr. Titmouse's account of the
business should turn out to be correct, it will be _your_ pocket that
must pay all the expenses, amounting probably to twenty times the sum
which the law may award to him!"

"_Law_, sir?--It's not justice!--I hate law.--Give me common sense and
common honesty!" said Mr. Tag-rag, with a little agitation.

"Both of them would condemn your conduct, Mr. Tag-rag; for I have heard
a full account of what Mr. Titmouse has suffered at your hands--of the
cause of your sudden warning to him, and your still more sudden
dismissal of yesterday. Oh, Mr. Tag-rag! upon my honor, it won't do--not
for a moment--and should you go on, rely upon what I tell you, that it
will cost you dear."

"And suppose, sir," said Tag-rag, in a would-be contemptuous tone--"I
should have witnesses to prove all I've said--which of us will look
funny _then_, sir?"

"Which, indeed! However, since that is your humor, I can only assure you
that it is very possible we may be, by the time of the trial, possessed
of some evidence which will surprise you: and that Mr. Titmouse defies
you to prove any misconduct on his part. We have, in short, taken up his
cause, and, as you may perhaps find by and by, to your cost, we shall
not easily let it drop."

"I mean no offence, sir," said Tag-rag, in a mitigated tone; "but I
must say, that ever since _you_ first came here, Titmouse has been quite
another person. He seems not to know who I am, nor to care either--and
he's perfectly unbearable."

"My dear sir, what has he _said_ or _done_?--that, you know, is what you
mu