There was the shank-end of a leg of mutton on the table. Dibble, nodding to his wife to make her comprehend his plan, took up the bone and held it to the “dawg’s” nose. Momus immediately stood upon her hind-legs and followed Dibble to the back kitchen, where she was speedily locked in with her supper. The showman, hardly comprehending this scheme for removing the protector, by whose side he was so valiant, darted towards the door before Dibble had time to turn round; but not before Mrs. Dibble had time to insert her arm between the drunkard and Dibble, the result of which was that the magician rolled over, and Dibble was saved the pain and trouble of knocking his old friend down himself. It was an easy matter to put the showman into the street after this, and when a policeman came up Momus was let out, to walk on her hind-legs, by the side of the man in blue. A facetious reporter at the police court the next day made a funny paragraph out of the showman’s appearance, the magistrate having requested the “dawg” to be brought into court. Momus made a bow to the bench, and stood upon her hind-legs; which put the magistrate in such a good humour, that he let off the showman with a caution. The incident was anything but a funny one to the Dibbles, for they lost their lodgers, and Mrs. Dibble lost her respectability and her control of the street; so she gave vent to her feelings by upbraiding Thomas, and the end was that they were exceedingly miserable, and Mrs. Dibble talked of a “judicious separation,” which was a thing that her “wortht dreamth had never brought to her mind; and oh! if her poor father could only rithe and thee her!” Poor Dibble, he could think of nothing but getting into the Thames, or thrusting his head into the water-butt. He thought better of this by-and-by, however; but not until he had looked at the Thames by gas-light and dipped his head a little way into the water-butt. If the water had not been so cold, we believe Dibble would have put his head deeper into it; but, oh, it was so very cold! Meanwhile Mr. Jefferson Crawley, _alias_ Shuffleton Gibbs, and the showman’s daughter, were spending their honeymoon, and the ex-swell was educating the young lady, and introducing her into a new world. CHAPTER XII. DISCOURSES CHIEFLY OF UNREQUITED LOVE. “I want you to come and spend a week with me, Phœbe,” said _the_ Miss Tallant to the young lady who had abdicated. They had met near Barton Hall, each on a morning’s ramble in the park, the spring sunshine was so tempting. “You must really grant this as a favour to me. I want your advice about a hundred things.” “Mother is not well,” said Phœbe, hesitatingly; “and father is so busy just now in negotiations for a new farm in Lincolnshire.”