her.

''Cos it's in their dooty, I suppose,' replied Sam, 'it's a part o' the
system; they're alvays a-doin' it here, all day long!' Mr. Weller and
his friends had scarcely had a moment to reflect upon this singular
regulation as connected with the monetary system of the country, when
they were rejoined by Pell and Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, who led them
to a part of the counter above which was a round blackboard with a large
'W.' on it.

'Wot's that for, Sir?' inquired Mr. Weller, directing Pell's attention
to the target in question.

'The first letter of the name of the deceased,' replied Pell.

'I say,' said Mr. Weller, turning round to the umpires, there's
somethin' wrong here. We's our letter--this won't do.'

The referees at once gave it as their decided opinion that the business
could not be legally proceeded with, under the letter W., and in all
probability it would have stood over for one day at least, had it not
been for the prompt, though, at first sight, undutiful behaviour of Sam,
who, seizing his father by the skirt of the coat, dragged him to the
counter, and pinned him there, until he had affixed his signature to a
couple of instruments; which, from Mr. Weller's habit of printing, was
a work of so much labour and time, that the officiating clerk peeled and
ate three Ribstone pippins while it was performing.

As the elder Mr. Weller insisted on selling out his portion forthwith,
they proceeded from the bank to the gate of the Stock Exchange, to which
Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, after a short absence, returned with a cheque
on Smith, Payne, & Smith, for five hundred and thirty pounds; that
being the money to which Mr. Weller, at the market price of the day, was
entitled, in consideration of the balance of the second Mrs. Weller's
funded savings. Sam's two hundred pounds stood transferred to his name,
and Wilkins Flasher, Esquire, having been paid his commission, dropped
the money carelessly into his coat pocket, and lounged back to his
office.

Mr. Weller was at first obstinately determined on cashing the cheque in
nothing but sovereigns; but it being represented by the umpires that by
so doing he must incur the expense of a small sack to carry them home
in, he consented to receive the amount in five-pound notes.

'My son,' said Mr. Weller, as they came out of the banking-house--'my
son and me has a wery partickler engagement this arternoon, and I should
like to have this here bis'ness settled out of