"_Now_, my dear Mr. Titmouse," said he, very graciously, "you show yourself the gentleman I always took you for--and I forget, forever, all that passed between us, so unpleasantly, last night. I am sure it will never be so again: for now we _entirely_ understand each other?" "Oh yes--'pon my life--quite entirely!" replied Titmouse, meekly, with a crestfallen air. Soon after breakfast they adjourned, at Gammon's request, to the billiard-room; where, though that gentleman knew how to handle a cue, and Titmouse did not, he expressed great admiration for Titmouse's play, and felt great interest in being shown by him how to get a ball, now and then, into each pocket at one stroke, a masterly manœuvre in which Titmouse succeeded two or three times, and Gammon not once, during their hour's play. Upon that occasion had occurred the conversation in which Titmouse made the suggestion we have already heard of, viz. that Gammon should immediately clap the screw upon Aubrey, with a view to squeezing out of him at least sufficient to pay the £10,000 bond, and their bill of costs, immediately; and Titmouse urged Gammon at once to send Aubrey packing after Yahoo to York Castle, as an inducement to an early settlement of the remainder. Gammon, however, assured Mr. Titmouse, that in all probability Mr. Aubrey had not a couple of thousand pounds in the world. "Well, that will do to begin with," said Titmouse, "and the rest _must_ come, sooner or later--eh, by Jove?" "Leave him to me, my dear Titmouse, or rather to Mr. Quirk--who'll _wring_ him before he's done with him, I warrant you! But, in the mean while, if I work day and night, I will relieve you from this claim of Mr. Quirk: for, in fact, I have little or no _real_ interest in the matter." "You'll take a slapping slice out of the bond, eh? Aha, Mr. Gammon!--But what were you saying you'd do for me?" "I repeat, that I am your only disinterested friend, Mr. Titmouse; I shall never see a hundred pounds of what is going into Mr. Quirk's hands; who, I must say, however," added Gammon, with sudden caution, "has richly earned what he's going to get--but--to say the truth, by following my directions throughout. I was saying, however, that I had hit upon a scheme for ridding you of your difficulties. Though you have only just stepped into your property, and consequently people are very shy of advancing money on mortgage, if you'll only keep quiet, and leave the affair entirely to me, I will undertake to get you a sum of possibly twenty thousand pounds." "My eyes!" exclaimed Titmouse, excitedly; quickly, however, adding with a sad air--"but then, what a lot of it will go to old Quirk?" "He _is_ rather a keen and hard--ahem! I own; but"---- "'Pon my life, couldn't we _do_ the old gent?" "On no consideration, Mr. Titmouse; it would be a fatal step for you--and indeed for me."