Now I will enter it two, my son, and half a crown for my clerk's fee." Saying this, he drew forth from his deep, blue bag, a red book having clasps to it, and endorsed in gold letters "Fee-book"; and before I could speak (being frightened so) he had entered on a page of it, "To consideration of case as stated by John Ridd, and advising thereupon, two guineas." "But sir, good sir," I stammered forth, not having two guineas left in the world, yet grieving to confess it, "I knew not that I was to pay, learned sir.

I never thought of it in that way." "Wounds of God! In what way thought you that a lawyer listened to your rigmarole ?" "I thought that you listened from kindness, sir, and compassion of my grievous case, and a sort of liking for me." "A lawyer like thee, young curmudgeon! A lawyer afford to feel compassion gratis! Either thou art a very deep knave, or the greenest of all greenhorns.

Well, I suppose, I must let thee off for one guinea, and the clerk's fee.

A bad business, a shocking business!" Now, if this man had continued kind and soft, as when he heard my story, I would have pawned my clothes to pay him, rather than leave a debt behind, although contracted unwittingly.

But when he used harsh language so, knowing that I did not deserve it, I began to doubt within myself whether he deserved my money.