im.

Gus, who had never been in a prison before, and whose heart failed him as
the red-headed young Moses opened and shut for him the numerous iron
outer doors, was struck dumb to see me behind a bottle of claret, in a
room blazing with gilt lamps; the curtains were down too, and you could
not see the bars at the windows; and Mr. B., Mr. Lock the Brighton
officer, Mr. Aminadab, and another rich gentleman of his trade and
religious persuasion, were chirping as merrily, and looked as
respectably, as any noblemen in the land.

"Have him in," said Mr. B., "if he's a friend of Mr. Titmarsh's; for,
cuss me, I like to see a rogue: and run me through, Titmarsh, but I think
you are one of the best in London. You beat Brough; you do, by Jove! for
he looks like a rogue--anybody would swear to him; but you! by Jove, you
look the very picture of honesty!"

"A deep file," said Aminadab, winking and pointing me out to his friend
Mr. Jehoshaphat.

"A good one," says Jehoshaphat.

"In for three hundred thousand pound," says Aminadab: "Brough's right-
hand man, and only three-and-twenty."

"Mr. Titmarsh, sir, your 'ealth, sir," says Mr. Lock, in an ecstasy of
admiration. "Your very good 'earth, sir, and better luck to you next
time."

"Pooh, pooh! _he's_ all right," says Aminadab; "let _him_ alone."

"In for _what_?" shouted I, quite amazed. "Why, sir, you arrested me for
90_l_."

"Yes, but you are in for half a million,--you know you are. _Them_ debts
I don't count--them paltry tradesmen's accounts. I mean Brough's
business. It's an ugly one; but you'll get through it. We all know you;
and I lay my life that when you come through the court, Mrs. Titmarsh has
got a handsome thing laid by."

"Mrs. Titmarsh has a small property," says I. "What then?"

The three gentlemen burst into a loud laugh, said I was a "rum chap"--a
"downy cove," and made other remarks which I could not understand then;
but the meaning of which I have since comprehended, for they took me to
be a great rascal, I am sorry to say, and supposed that I had robbed the
I. W. D. Association, and, in order to make my money secure, settled it
on my wife.

It was in the midst of this conversation that, as I said, Gus came in;
and whew! when he saw what was going on, he gave _such_ a whistle!

"Herr von Joel, by Jove!" says Aminadab. At which all laughed.

"Sit down," says Mr. B.,--"sit down, and wet your whistle, my piper! I
say, egad! you're the pip