Conversation was here stayed by a terrible vocal explosion up-stairs, accompanied by cries for mother, the cause being that a juvenile member of the Pellet family had choked himself with an angular fragment of pudding, given to him by Mrs Jared to keep him out of mischief--a cold heavy pudding of a most economical texture, frequently made in Jared's establishment, and called by him "extinguisher" from its wondrous power of putting out appetite to the last faint spark. A due amount of patting and shaking sufficed to place the little sufferer in his normal state; and mother and father once more descended, to find Tim Ruggles ready for starting homeward, after exhibiting a newly-made pair of trousers--his first--upon the young gentleman for whom they were intended. "Yes, sir," said Tim, taking up, in a most unexpected manner, the principal subject of the evening's conversation, "I'll have a long talk to Mrs Ruggles about it; and if I might ask it as a favour of you and Mrs Pellet, sir, please don't send anything any more for little Pine. I'm so much obliged, and thank you kindly; but Mrs Ruggles, sir, is a little bit particular upon some points, and just perhaps the least touch proud. I know you won't be offended with me for telling you." Mrs Jared, who had on several occasions sent little delicacies that she thought the child might fancy--poor-people's delicacies--promised, and Tim left; and probably from the sharp look-out kept by Mrs Ruggles after the conversation she had with her husband, for quite a month the vicar enjoyed peace of mind, from a feeling that the poor-box had not been disturbed. "And a good job, too," said Mr Timson, one evening; "for I'm quite sick of hearing sermons and texts about pieces of money--`render unto Caesar,' or `current money of the merchant,' or Achan's covetousness, or the Judas pieces of silver. You know they only did harm, acting like charity-sermons, and making people get money ready, expecting to see a plate held at the door, and then, only naturally, dropping it into the poor-box, so as to give more plunder to the thief, who has been laughing at you all the time." "For shame, Timson!" said the old clergyman, sternly. "Don't you think that even thieves have consciences?" "Humph! well, I don't know," said Timson, "perhaps they have, but they don't keep them from stealing. But I thought you said you would keep the subject out of your sermons?" The vicar did not reply, but his eyes twinkled, and a dry little crease or two appeared at the corners of his mouth. Volume 2, Chapter VI. MRS JARED'S MANAGEMENT.