The gentlemen eyed one another for a few seconds in silence, for the surprise was great. Mr. Larkin did not even set down the parcel of letters, which he had been sorting like a hand at whist, when Mr. Levi had stepped in to divert his attention. "I thought, Mr. Larkinsh, I might as well drop in just to give you a lift," said Levi, with an elaborate bow, a politeness, and a great smile, that rather embarrassed the good attorney. "Certainly, Mr. Levi, I'm always happy to see you--always happy to see _any_ man--I have never done anything I am ashamed of, nor shrunk from any duty, nor do I mean to do so now." "Your hands looksh pretty full." "Yes, sir, _pretty_ tolerably full, sir," said Mr. Larkin, placing the letters on the desk; "and I may add so do _yours_, Mr. Levi; those keys, as you observe, might have given one a lift in opening this desk, had I not preferred the _other_ course," said Mr. Larkin, loftily, "of simply requesting Mr. Dingwell's friend, the lady at present in charge of his papers, to afford me, at her own discretion, such access to the papers possibly affecting my client as I may consider necessary or expedient, as his legal adviser." "You have changed your view of your duty, rather; haven't you, Mr. Larkinsh?" "No, sir, _no_; simply my action on a point of expediency. Of course, there was some weight, too, sir, in the suggestions made by a gentleman of Mr. Goldshed's experience and judgment; and I don't hesitate to say that his--his ideas had their proper weight with me. And I may say, once for all, Mr. Levi, I'll not be hectored, or lectured, or _bullied_ by you, Mr. Levi," added Mr. Larkin, in a new style, feeling, perhaps, that his logical and moral vein was not quite so happy as usual. "Don't frighten ush, Larkins, pray don't, only just give me leave to see what them letters is about," said Levi, taking his place by him; "did you put any of them in your pocket?" "No, sir; upon my _soul_, Mr. Levi, I did no such thing," said Mr. Larkin, with a heartiness that had an effect upon the Jew. "The occasion is so serious that I hardly regret having used the expression," said Mr. Larkin, who had actually blushed at his own oath. "There was just one letter possibly worth looking at." "That da-a-am foolish letter you wrote him to Constantinople?"