in the English tongue, this work would have more interest
for them than the ablest investigations upon the political and social
history of man. But," added the Comedian, shaking his head mournfully,
"the human species is not testaceous; and what the history of man might
be to a limpet, the history of limpets is to a man." So saying, Mr.
Waife bought a sheet of cardboard and some gilt foil, relifted his hat,
and walked out.

The shopman scratched his head thoughtfully; he glanced from his window
at the form of the receding stranger, and mechanically resumed the task
of cutting those leaves, which, had the volumes reached the shelves of
the library uncut, would have so remained to the crack of doom.

Mike Callaghan now came in sight, striding fast; "Mr. Mayor sends his
love--bother-o'-me--his respex; and will be happy to see your honour."

In three minutes more the Comedian was seated in a little parlour
that adjoined Mr. Hartopp's counting-house,--Mr. Hartopp seated
also, vis-a-vis. The Mayor had one of those countenances upon which
good-nature throws a sunshine softer than Claude ever shed upon canvas.
Josiah Hartopp had risen in life by little other art than that of quiet
kindliness. As a boy at school, he had been ever ready to do a good turn
to his school-fellows; and his school-fellows at last formed themselves
into a kind of police, for the purpose of protecting Jos. Hartopp's
pence and person from the fists and fingers of each other. He was
evidently so anxious to please his master, not from fear of the rod, but
the desire to spare that worthy man the pain of inflicting it, that
he had more trouble taken with his education than was bestowed on the
brightest intellect that school ever reared; and where other boys were
roughly flogged, Jos. Hartopp was soothingly patted on the head, and
told not to be cast down, but try again. The same even-handed justice
returned the sugared chalice to his lips in his apprenticeship to an
austere leather-seller, who, not bearing the thought to lose sight of
so mild a face, raised him into partnership, and ultimately made him his
son-in-law and residuary legatee. Then Mr. Hartopp yielded to the advice
of friends who desired his exaltation, and from a leather-seller became
a tanner. Hides themselves softened their asperity to that gentle
dealer, and melted into golden fleeces. He became rich enough to hire a
farm for health and recreation. He knew little of husbandry, but he won
t