"Quite dreadful, sir--'pon my soul, dreadful; and such usage at Mr. Tag-rag's!" "But you mustn't think of going abroad--away from all your friends, Mr. Titmouse." "_Abroad_, sir!" interrupted Titmouse, with anxious but subdued eagerness; "never thought of such a thing!" "Oh! I--I thought"---- "There isn't a word of truth in it, sir; and if you've heard so, it must have been from that oudacious fellow that called on you--he's _such_ a liar--if you knew him as well as I do, sir!" said Titmouse, with a confident air, quite losing sight of his piteous letter to Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap--"No, sir--shall stay, and stick to friends that stick to me." "Take another glass of wine, Mr. Titmouse," interrupted Gammon, cordially, and Titmouse obeyed him; but while he was pouring it out, a sudden recollection of his letter flashing across his mind, satisfied him that he stood detected in a flat lie before Mr. Gammon, and he blushed scarlet. "Do you like the sherry?" inquired Gammon, perfectly aware of what was passing through the little mind of his guest, and wishing to divert his thoughts. Titmouse answered in the affirmative: and proceeded to pour forth such a number of apologies for his own behavior at Saffron Hill, and that of Huckaback on the subsequent occasion, as Gammon found it difficult to stop, over and over again assuring him that all had been entirely forgiven and even forgotten. When Titmouse came to the remittance of the five pounds---- "Don't mention it, my dear sir," interrupted Gammon, very blandly; "it gave me, I assure you, far greater satisfaction to send it, than you to receive it. I hope it has a little relieved you?" "I think so, sir! I was, 'pon my life, on my very last legs." "When things come to the worst, they often mend, Mr. Titmouse! I told Mr. Quirk (who, to do him justice, came at last into my views) that, however premature, and perhaps imprudent it might be in us to go so far, I could not help relieving your present necessities, even out of my own resources." [Oh, Gammon, Gammon!] "How very uncommon kind of you, sir!" exclaimed Titmouse. "Not in the least, my dear sir--(pray fill another glass, Mr. Titmouse!) You see Mr. Quirk is quite a man of business--and our profession too often affords instances of persons whose hearts contract as their purses expand, Mr. Titmouse--ha! ha! Indeed, those who make their money as hard as Mr. Quirk, are apt to be slow at parting with it, and _very_ suspicious!" "Well, I hope no offence, sir; but really I thought as much, directly I saw that old gent." "Ah--but _now_ he is embarked, heart and soul, in the affair." "No! _Is_ he really, sir?" inquired Titmouse, eagerly.