very blank, 'what do they
do that for?'

'Why, I don't know,' replied the little man coolly; 'saves time, I
suppose. If it's near dinner-time, the foreman takes out his watch when
the jury has retired, and says, "Dear me, gentlemen, ten minutes to
five, I declare! I dine at five, gentlemen." "So do I," says everybody
else, except two men who ought to have dined at three and seem more than
half disposed to stand out in consequence. The foreman smiles, and puts
up his watch:--"Well, gentlemen, what do we say, plaintiff or defendant,
gentlemen? I rather think, so far as I am concerned, gentlemen,--I say,
I rather think--but don't let that influence you--I RATHER think the
plaintiff's the man." Upon this, two or three other men are sure to say
that they think so too--as of course they do; and then they get on very
unanimously and comfortably. Ten minutes past nine!' said the little
man, looking at his watch.'Time we were off, my dear sir; breach of
promise trial-court is generally full in such cases. You had better ring
for a coach, my dear sir, or we shall be rather late.'

Mr. Pickwick immediately rang the bell, and a coach having been
procured, the four Pickwickians and Mr. Perker ensconced themselves
therein, and drove to Guildhall; Sam Weller, Mr. Lowten, and the blue
bag, following in a cab.

'Lowten,' said Perker, when they reached the outer hall of the court,
'put Mr. Pickwick's friends in the students' box; Mr. Pickwick himself
had better sit by me. This way, my dear sir, this way.' Taking Mr.
Pickwick by the coat sleeve, the little man led him to the low seat just
beneath the desks of the King's Counsel, which is constructed for the
convenience of attorneys, who from that spot can whisper into the ear of
the leading counsel in the case, any instructions that may be necessary
during the progress of the trial. The occupants of this seat are
invisible to the great body of spectators, inasmuch as they sit on a
much lower level than either the barristers or the audience, whose seats
are raised above the floor. Of course they have their backs to both, and
their faces towards the judge.

'That's the witness-box, I suppose?' said Mr. Pickwick, pointing to a
kind of pulpit, with a brass rail, on his left hand.

'That's the witness-box, my dear sir,' replied Perker, disinterring a
quantity of papers from the blue bag, which Lowten had just deposited at
his feet.

'And that,' said Mr. Pickwick, pointing to a couple o