Will you then take a seat--a seat, my dear Eliza.' "'I fear I cannot, sir; you know there is no one else to keep an eye to the bar.' "'The business of the bar, my dear girl, is over for this night; but not, I trust--sincerely trust--that of the sweet barmaid; do sit, Eliza, pray be seated, and let me have a word with you in season; thank you, but not at such a distance, Eliza, such an inconvenient distance; I say inconvenient--because--ugh, ugh, I have caught a slight cold--as a trial it came--and I will receive it so, that has fallen for the time--ugh, ugh, ugh--upon my lungs, and renders it a good deal troublesome to me to speak loud; so that the nearer you sit--and it has affected my head a little, only with a slight deafness, though, which--were you speaking, my dear ?' "'No, sir.' "'Yes, so I thought, you were saying something--will soon pass away.' "I thought this dialogue, on the part of M'Slime, too characteristic to be lost.

I accordingly stole somewhat near the snuggery, until I got into a position from whence I could see them clearly, without being seen myself.

It was quite evident from the humor, which, in spite of a demure face glinted from her eye, that Eliza's object was to occasion M'Slime to assume his real character, for I could easily see that from time to time she felt very considerable difficulty in suppressing her laughter.
"'The deafness, Eliza, I feel particularly troublesome, though not painful; as while transacting business it f-forces me to sit so, very close to my clients.' "'But I am not a client, Mr.M'Slime, and you need not draw your chair so close to me--there now, that will do.' "'You are my sweet--sweet girl; you are my client--and you shall be my client--and upon a most important subject--the most important of all; verily, Eliza, this is a most delicious cup of refreshment.

How did you flavor it--but, indeed, if I were, as I have been, before I was graciously called and chosen, I would have recourse to a harmless gallantry, and say that this most ambrosial beverage must have caught its sweetness from your lips--its fragrance from your breath--and its lustre from your eyes--I would say so--if I were as I have been--and, indeed, as I am--even yet, frail, Eliza, still frail, and very far, indeed, from perfection--but--still, even as I am I could scarcely scruple to relapse a little--yea, only a little, Eliza, for the sake of such lips--of such eyes--and such a fragrant breath.

Alas! we are all frail.' "'But, Mr.M'Slime, I surely didn't think that you who stand so high in the religious world, and that the people look upon as a saint, would talk as you do.' "'Ah, Eliza, my dear girl, it is very natural for you in your hitherto darkened state to say so; but, sweet Eliza, if you had your privileges, you could understand me.