may say--by ev'ry young 'ooman in
ev'ry town he vurks through, I don't know. I only know that so it is.
It's a regulation of natur--a dispensary, as your poor mother-in-law
used to say.'

'A dispensation,' said Sam, correcting the old gentleman.

'Wery good, Samivel, a dispensation if you like it better,' returned
Mr. Weller; 'I call it a dispensary, and it's always writ up so, at
the places vere they gives you physic for nothin' in your own bottles;
that's all.'

With these words, Mr. Weller refilled and relighted his pipe, and once
more summoning up a meditative expression of countenance, continued as
follows--

'Therefore, my boy, as I do not see the adwisability o' stoppin here
to be married vether I vant to or not, and as at the same time I do
not vish to separate myself from them interestin' members o' society
altogether, I have come to the determination o' driving the Safety,
and puttin' up vunce more at the Bell Savage, vich is my nat'ral born
element, Sammy.'

'And wot's to become o' the bis'ness?' inquired Sam.

'The bis'ness, Samivel,' replied the old gentleman, 'good-vill, stock,
and fixters, vill be sold by private contract; and out o' the money, two
hundred pound, agreeable to a rekvest o' your mother-in-law's to me,
a little afore she died, vill be invested in your name in--What do you
call them things agin?'

'Wot things?' inquired Sam.

'Them things as is always a-goin' up and down, in the city.'

'Omnibuses?' suggested Sam.

'Nonsense,' replied Mr. Weller. 'Them things as is alvays
a-fluctooatin', and gettin' theirselves inwolved somehow or another vith
the national debt, and the chequers bill; and all that.'

'Oh! the funds,' said Sam.

'Ah!' rejoined Mr. Weller, 'the funs; two hundred pounds o' the money is
to be inwested for you, Samivel, in the funs; four and a half per cent.
reduced counsels, Sammy.'

'Wery kind o' the old lady to think o' me,' said Sam, 'and I'm wery much
obliged to her.'

'The rest will be inwested in my name,' continued the elder Mr. Weller;
'and wen I'm took off the road, it'll come to you, so take care you
don't spend it all at vunst, my boy, and mind that no widder gets a
inklin' o' your fortun', or you're done.'

Having delivered this warning, Mr. Weller resumed his pipe with a more
serene countenance; the disclosure of these matters appearing to have
eased his mind considerably.

'Somebody's a-tappin' at the door,' said Sam.

'Let 'em tap,' replied