The stockings were utterly spoiled; and after much urging on the part of the gentleman, his worship consented that a summons should be issued for the boot-maker's appearance. However, it came to nothing; for in half an hour after, the gentleman waddled back to the office, and said the boot-maker and he had come to an _éclaircissement_ which would render his worship's interference unnecessary. What was the nature of that _éclaircissement_ did not appear; but certainly the boot-maker who could have the heart to put a poor gentleman to so much misery ought no longer to call himself one of the "_gentle_ craft." BEAUTY AND THE BROOMSTICK. Mrs. Mary Evans was brought before the magistrate on a warrant charging her with an assault on the person of Miss Jemima Jennings. Mrs. Mary Evans was a tall thin matron, somewhat declining into the vale of years; but her countenance--especially the most prominent part of it, which was very prominent indeed--was still blooming with spirituous comforts. Miss Jemima Jennings was a very pretty mild-spoken young woman, with a countenance blooming with youth. Miss Jemima deposed, that on a certain day named, she _happened_ to be going along a certain street, and, as the weather was very hot, she _happened_ to go into a certain public-house to take a glass of Henry Meux and Co.'s entire. She there _happened_ to see a gentleman, who very politely asked her to take a glass of _something short_;[18] telling her it would _squench_ her thirst better than porter. She resisted his invitation for some time; but at length she consented to take a drop of something short--a cool _dodger of cloves and brandy_;[19] and having drank it, she thanked the gentleman for his politeness, and went on her way--pretty considerably refreshed. Next day, she _happened_ to go into the same public-house again--not with any expectation of meeting the same gentleman again, but with the sole intention of taking a dodger of cloves and brandy on her own account--she having derived great comfort from the one she took on the preceding day. It so _happened_ that the gentleman was not there; at which she was very much pleased; for she could not "bear the _highdear_ of being _beholding_ to one gentleman two days together." Whilst she was taking her cloves and brandy, thinking of nothing at all but how very nice it was, who should come in but the defendant, Mrs. Evans, with an "I want to speak to _you_, young woman." Now she, Miss Jemima, thought this very comical, for the lady was a perfect stranger to her. However, she followed her, up one street, and down another, till at last Mrs. Evans opened the door of a house and said, "pray walk in, _Mem_;" and in she did walk, wondering what all this could mean. Mrs. Evans, having closed the door, made her a low courtesy, and said, "Have the kindness to walk this way, _Mem_;" and Miss Jemima followed her along the passage to an inner apartment, like a lamb to the slaughter-house, as