"By Jove!--Indeed!--No! But would it really? How?--Squeeze away, then, and be----! Please bring an action against the fellow, the first thing in the morning! Put him in jail, and he'll get the money, I'll warrant him! Dem the fellow! why don't he pay his debts? It's devilish hard on _me_, a'n't it? Didn't I forgive him forty thousand pounds? By the way, I'd forgot there's the other ten thousand that Lord De la Zouch is surety for--when do we touch that?" "Oh! we've taken a bond for _that_, which will not fall due before--let me see--the 24th of next January." "'Pon my soul, what a cursed bore! But can't one do anything with it before then?" "What! Sue on it before it's due?" "No--egad! I mean, raise the wind on it. Surely Lord De la Zouch's name is"---- "Whew!" thought Gammon, "that stroke certainly had never occurred to me!--Ay, he's right, the little fool! Old Fang will advance £8,000 or £9,000, or more even--I'll see to it, by Jove!" Then he said aloud--"It may be possible, certainly, my dear Titmouse; but I see very great obstacles in the way." "Some cussed law point--eh?" "Yes--but I assure you I will turn my best attention to it," he added; and proceeded to bring back Titmouse to the point at which he had started off. "And speaking of poor Aubrey--it's certainly true that you have been, I may say, extravagantly liberal to him--forbearing beyond example; and I can't think that any one can be expected, when he knows a wave of his hand will put some eleven thousand pounds into his pocket, to stand by idle forever! It is not in human nature"---- "No; 'pon my life it isn't," quoth Titmouse, with a puzzled air, quite unable to make out whether Gammon intended to favor or discourage the notion of immediately proceeding against Aubrey; which Gammon observing, he continued--"At all events I should say, that if you consider that your own necessities"-- "Demme! I should think so!" interposed Titmouse. "Required it--and, as you very properly observed, _you_ are the best judge; certainly"----he paused; surely--thought he--Titmouse _now_ saw his drift! "Yes--'pon my soul!" exclaimed Titmouse. "Why, in that case, it is only due to myself to say _I_ can be no party to it: I have had to bear enough already that was due to others; and since I have solemnly pledged my word of honor to Mr."---- "What the devil _do_ you mean, Gammon? Cuss me, if I can make you out a bit!" interrupted Titmouse, snappishly. "You misunderstand me, my dear Titmouse! Once for all, I say, if you want the money, you must immediately sue on these notes; and my opinion is, you'll succeed--only, I _must not appear in it_, you know! But if you do choose to employ some other solicitor--there's that Mr. Spitfire, for instance--to _compel_ me to give up the notes."