r. Robert Smithers began to doubt
the mildness of the Havannahs, and to feel very much as if he had been
sitting in a hackney-coach with his back to the horses.

As to Mr. Thomas Potter, he _would_ keep laughing out loud, and
volunteering inarticulate declarations that he was 'all right;' in proof
of which, he feebly bespoke the evening paper after the next gentleman,
but finding it a matter of some difficulty to discover any news in its
columns, or to ascertain distinctly whether it had any columns at all,
walked slowly out to look for the moon, and, after coming back quite pale
with looking up at the sky so long, and attempting to express mirth at
Mr. Robert Smithers having fallen asleep, by various galvanic chuckles,
laid his head on his arm, and went to sleep also. When he awoke again,
Mr. Robert Smithers awoke too, and they both very gravely agreed that it
was extremely unwise to eat so many pickled walnuts with the chops, as it
was a notorious fact that they always made people queer and sleepy;
indeed, if it had not been for the whiskey and cigars, there was no
knowing what harm they mightn't have done 'em. So they took some coffee,
and after paying the bill,--twelve and twopence the dinner, and the odd
tenpence for the waiter--thirteen shillings in all--started out on their
expedition to manufacture a night.

It was just half-past eight, so they thought they couldn't do better than
go at half-price to the slips at the City Theatre, which they did
accordingly. Mr. Robert Smithers, who had become extremely poetical
after the settlement of the bill, enlivening the walk by informing Mr.
Thomas Potter in confidence that he felt an inward presentiment of
approaching dissolution, and subsequently embellishing the theatre, by
falling asleep with his head and both arms gracefully drooping over the
front of the boxes.

Such was the quiet demeanour of the unassuming Smithers, and such were
the happy effects of Scotch whiskey and Havannahs on that interesting
person! But Mr. Thomas Potter, whose great aim it was to be considered
as a 'knowing card,' a 'fast-goer,' and so forth, conducted himself in a
very different manner, and commenced going very fast indeed--rather too
fast at last, for the patience of the audience to keep pace with him. On
his first entry, he contented himself by earnestly calling upon the
gentlemen in the gallery to 'flare up,' accompanying the demand with
another request, expressive of his wish t