uckaback, by the way, Titmouse cut him entirely;
saying that he was a devilish low fellow, and it was no use knowing him.
He made many desperate efforts, both personally and by letter, to renew
his acquaintance with Titmouse, but in vain. I may as well mention, by
the way, that as soon as Snap got scent of the little money transaction
between his friend and Huckaback, he called upon the latter, and
tendering him twelve shillings, demanded up the document which he had
extorted from Titmouse. Huckaback held out obstinately for some
time--but Snap was too much for him, and talked in such a formidable
strain about an indictment for a conspiracy (!) and fraud, that
Huckaback at length consented, on receiving twelve shillings, to deliver
up the document to Snap, on condition of Snap's destroying it on the
spot. This was done, and so ended all intercourse--at least on this side
of the grave--between Titmouse (as far, at least, as _his_ intentions
went) and Huckaback.

The sum allowed by Messrs. Quirk and Gammon to Titmouse, was amply
sufficient to have kept him in comfort; but it never would have enabled
him to lead the kind of life which I have described--and he would
certainly have got very awkwardly involved, had it not been for the
kindness of Snap in advancing him, from time to time, such sums as his
exigencies required. In fact, matters went on as quietly and smoothly as
possible for several months--till about the middle of November; when an
event occurred which seemed to threaten the total demolition of all his
hopes and expectations.

He had not seen or heard from Messrs. Quirk or Gammon for nearly a
fortnight; Snap he had not seen for nearly a week. At length he ventured
to make his appearance at Saffron Hill, and was received with a
startling coldness--a stern abruptness of manner--which frightened him
out of his wits. All the three partners were alike--as for Snap, the
contrast between his present and his former manner, was perfectly
shocking: he seemed quite another person. The fact was, that the full
statement of Titmouse's claims had been laid before Mr. Subtle, the
leading counsel retained in his behalf, for his opinion on the case
generally, before actually commencing proceedings; and the partners were
indeed thunderstruck on receiving that opinion; for Mr. Subtle pointed
out a radical deficiency of proof in a matter which, as soon as their
attention was thus pointedly called to it, Messrs. Quirk and Gammon we