Bible out of his pocket and put it down on the table, with the words, "It was a great pleasure to him to meet with a keen, diligent, student of the law; to such a man it would be a real satisfaction to make a present of his Bible, without asking a halfpenny for it; as it was, an unpointed edition (that is to say, one without vowels), he couldn't read it himself, especially as even if it had _had_ points, he couldn't have managed it. This napkin-press of mine, here"--he said, producing it from under his coat-tails "I should be very glad if you would allow me to leave with you, because I find it a good deal in my way at home; I don't quite know what to do with it. You see, I have particular reasons for being anxious to get hold of a goose out of your pen; I don't mind if it's as thin as a whipping-post. _If you like_, you may _call_ it giving it to me in charity on a holy day of this sort, for all I care; it'll make no difference to _me_. If I should ever come and take away the press again, it'll be an easy matter, and it'll be time enough, to go into the transaction afresh." It was thus that, in order to secure his wife the free exercise of her religious observances, he _brought in_ this goose of controversy, which _seemed_ to have some polemical bearing, as well as to be connected with distinctive doctrines of faith; and next day these two Doctor Martin Lutherists ate up the Schmalkaldian article (and, indeed, _another_ Schmalkaldian article, a _commercial_ one--cold iron, namely--has often been employed in defence of the articles of theology). Thus was the capitol of the Lutheran religion saved, in an easy manner, by the bird, which was roasted (so to speak) at the fire of an _auto-da-fé_. But on this particular morning up came the wigmaker, an individual whom he was delighted to see generally, though _not_ to-day, for on the day before, Michaelmas, the quarter's house rent was due, as we may remember. The _Friseur_ presented himself as a sort of mute bill "at sight;" yet he was polite enough not to _ask_ for anything. He merely mentioned, in a casual manner, that "there was going to be an auction of a variety of things on the Monday before St. Andrew's Day, and in case the advocate might care to get together a few things for it, he thought he would give him notice of it, as he held a life appointment from the Houses of Assembly as auction-crier."