"Yough! Faugh! Pish! Stuff!" burst out Huckaback, in a tone of contempt and disgust; "_never_ thought there was anything in it, and now _know_ it! It's all my eye, and all that! You've been only humbugging me all this while!" "Oh, Hucky, Hucky! You don't say so!" groaned Titmouse, bursting into tears; "you did not _always_ say so." "It's enough that I say it _now_, then; will that do?" interrupted Huckaback, impetuously. "Oh, Lord, Lord! what is to become of me?" cried Titmouse, with a face full of anguish. [At this moment, the following was the course of thought passing through the mind of Mr. Huckaback:--It is not _certain_ that nothing will come of the fellow's affair with Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap. It was hardly likely that they would have gone as far as Titmouse represented, (lawyers as they were), unless they had seen very substantial grounds for doing so. Besides, even though Titmouse might not get ten thousand a-year, he might yet succeed in obtaining a very splendid sum of money: and if he (Huckaback) could but get a little slice out of it, Titmouse was now nearly desperate, and would promise anything; and if he could but be wheedled into giving anything in writing--Well, thought Huckaback, I'll try it however!] "Ah, Titmouse, you're civil enough _now_, and would _promise_ anything," said Huckaback, appearing to hesitate; "but supposing I were to do what you want, when you got your money you'd forget everything about it"---- "Forget my promise! Dear Hucky! only try me--do try me but once, that's all! 'Pon my precious life, ten shillings is worth more to me now than a hundred pounds may be by-and-by." "Ay, so you say _now_; but d'ye mean to tell me, that in case I _was_ now to advance you ten shillings out of my small salary," continued Huckaback, apparently carelessly, "you'd, for instance, pay me a hundred pounds out of your thousands?" "Oh, Lord! only you try me--do try me!" said Titmouse, eagerly. "Oh, I dare say!" interrupted Huckaback, smiling incredulously, and chinking some money in his trousers pocket. Titmouse heard it, and (as the phrase is) his teeth watered; and he immediately swore such a tremendous oath as I dare not set down in writing, that if Huckaback would that evening lend him ten shillings, Titmouse would give him one hundred pounds out of the very first moneys he got from the estate. "Ten shillings is a slapping slice out of my little salary--I shall have, by George, to go without lots of things I'd intended getting; it's really worth ten pounds to me, just now." "Why, dear Hucky! 'pon my life, 't is worth a hundred to _me_! Mrs. Squallop will sell me out, bag and baggage, if I don't give her something to-morrow!" "Well, if I really thought--hem!--would you mind giving me, now, a bit of black and white for it--just (as one might say) to show you was in earnest?" "I'll do anything you like; only let me feel the ten shillings in my fingers!"