n, did not by any means repel.

"It is a very great happiness," said the cavalier, seating himself
on his stool, and, from habit, brandishing his ruler around Miss
Lavinia's head,--"it is a great happiness, madam, when we poor
professional slaves have the pleasure to see one of the divine
sex--one of the ladies of creation, if I may use the phrase. Lawbooks
and papers are--ahem!--very--yes, exceedingly--"

"Dull?" suggested the lady, fanning herself with a measured movement
of the hand.

"Oh! worse, worse! These objects, madam, extinguish all poetry, and
gallantry, and elevated feeling in our unhappy breasts."

"Indeed?"

"Yes, my dear madam, and after a while we become so dead to all
that is beautiful and charming in existence"--that was from Mr.
Roundjacket's poem--"that we are incapable even of appreciating the
delightful society of the fairest and most exquisite of the opposite
sex."

Miss Lavinia shook her head with a ghostly smile.

"I'm afraid you are very gallant, Mr. Roundjacket."

"I, madam? no, no; I am the coldest and most prosaic of men."

"But your poem?"

"You have heard of that?"

"Yes, indeed, sir."

"Well, madam, that is but another proof of the fact which I assert."

"How, indeed?"

"It is on the prosaic and repulsive subject of the Certiorari."

And Mr. Roundjacket smiled after such a fashion, that it was
not difficult to perceive the small amount of sincerity in this
declaration.

Miss Lavinia looked puzzled, and fanned herself more solemnly than
ever.

"The Certiorari, did you say, sir?" she asked.

"Yes, madam--one of our legal proceedings; and if you are really
curious, I will read a portion of my unworthy poem to you--ahem!--"

As Mr. Roundjacket spoke, an overturned chair in the adjoining room
indicated that the occupant of the apartment had been disturbed by the
noise, and was about to oppose the invasion of his rights.

Roundjacket no sooner heard this, than he restored the poem to his
desk, with a sigh, and said:

"But you, no doubt, came on business, madam--I delay you--Mr.
Rushton--"

At the same moment the door of Mr. Rushton's room opened, and that
gentleman made his appearance, shaggy and irate--a frown upon his
brow, and a man-eating expression on his compressed lips.

The sight of Miss Lavinia slightly removed the wrathful expression,
and Mr. Rushton contented himself with bestowing a dreadful scowl on
Roundjacket, which that gentleman returned, and the