four or five o'clock;
having nevertheless to rise at half-past six, to resume his detested
duties at Tag-rag and Co.'s, whose shop he assisted in opening at seven
o'clock, as usual. When he and his shopmates were sitting together at
breakfast, he could not for the life of him help letting out a little,
vaguely and mysteriously, about "something that _might_ happen in the
course of the day;" and thereby succeeded in satisfying his experienced
companions that he expected the visit of a policeman, for some _row_ he
had been concerned in over-night.--Well:--eight, nine, ten o'clock wore
away heavily, and nothing transpired, alas! to vary the monotonous
duties in which Mr. Titmouse was engaged; bale after bale, and package
after package, he took down and put up again, at the bidding of pretty,
capricious customers; silk, satin, bombazines, crapes, muslins, ribbons,
gloves, he assisted in displaying, disposing of, or replacing as usual;
but it was clear that his powerful understanding could no longer settle
itself, as before, upon his responsible and arduous duties. Every other
minute he cast a feverish furtive glance towards the door. He almost
dropped, at one time, as a postman crossed from the opposite side of the
street, as if to enter their shop--then passing on immediately, however,
to the next door. Not a person, in short, entered the premises, whom he
did not scrutinize narrowly and anxiously, but in vain. No--buying and
selling was the order of the day, as usual!--Eleven o'clock struck, and
he sighed. "You don't seem well," said a pretty young woman, to whom,
in a somewhat absent manner, he was exhibiting and describing the
qualities of some cambric. "Oh--ye--es, uncommon!" he replied; "never
better, ma'am, than when so well employed!" accompanying the latter
words with what he conceived to be a very arch, but which was in fact a
very impudent, look at his fair customer. At that moment a voice called
out to him from the farther end of the shop, near the door--"Titmouse!
Wanted!"

"Coming!" he shouted, turning as white as the cambric he held in his
hands--which became suddenly cold; while his heart went thump, thump, as
he hastily exclaimed to the astonished lady, "Excuse me, ma'am, if you
please--Jones," addressing the shopman next him, "will you attend to
this lady?" and he hastened whither he had been called, amid a prevalent
grin and "hem!" from his companions on each side, as he passed along the
shop, till he rea