tumbling up with the Reverend Mr. Stiggins.

'He's a-comin', Sammy,' whispered Mr. Weller, purple in the countenance
with suppressed laughter.

'Don't say nothin' to me,' replied Sam, 'for I can't bear it. He's close
to the door. I hear him a-knockin' his head again the lath and plaster
now.'

As Sam Weller spoke, the little door flew open, and Brother Tadger
appeared, closely followed by the Reverend Mr. Stiggins, who no sooner
entered, than there was a great clapping of hands, and stamping of feet,
and flourishing of handkerchiefs; to all of which manifestations of
delight, Brother Stiggins returned no other acknowledgment than staring
with a wild eye, and a fixed smile, at the extreme top of the wick of
the candle on the table, swaying his body to and fro, meanwhile, in a
very unsteady and uncertain manner.

'Are you unwell, Brother Stiggins?' whispered Mr. Anthony Humm.

'I am all right, Sir,' replied Mr. Stiggins, in a tone in which ferocity
was blended with an extreme thickness of utterance; 'I am all right,
Sir.'

'Oh, very well,' rejoined Mr. Anthony Humm, retreating a few paces.

'I believe no man here has ventured to say that I am not all right,
Sir?' said Mr. Stiggins.

'Oh, certainly not,' said Mr. Humm. 'I should advise him not to, Sir; I
should advise him not,' said Mr. Stiggins.

By this time the audience were perfectly silent, and waited with some
anxiety for the resumption of business.

'Will you address the meeting, brother?' said Mr. Humm, with a smile of
invitation.

'No, sir,' rejoined Mr. Stiggins; 'No, sir. I will not, sir.'

The meeting looked at each other with raised eyelids; and a murmur of
astonishment ran through the room.

'It's my opinion, sir,' said Mr. Stiggins, unbuttoning his coat, and
speaking very loudly--'it's my opinion, sir, that this meeting is drunk,
sir. Brother Tadger, sir!' said Mr. Stiggins, suddenly increasing in
ferocity, and turning sharp round on the little man in the drab
shorts, 'YOU are drunk, sir!' With this, Mr. Stiggins, entertaining
a praiseworthy desire to promote the sobriety of the meeting, and to
exclude therefrom all improper characters, hit Brother Tadger on
the summit of the nose with such unerring aim, that the drab shorts
disappeared like a flash of lightning. Brother Tadger had been knocked,
head first, down the ladder.

Upon this, the women set up a loud and dismal screaming; and rushing in
small parties before their favourite brothers