Quite so."

After this magnificent rebuke, Mr. Prigg drew out his cambric
handkerchief, and most gently applied it to his stately nose.

"Again," said Mr. Prigg, "I heard language, or thought I heard language,
which I should construe as decidedly derogatory to the Profession which
you serve and to which I have the honour to belong."

"I was only in fun, sir," said Horatio, gathering confidence as Mr. Prigg
proceeded.

"Quite so, quite so; that may be, I sincerely hope you were; but never
make fun of that by which you live; you derive what I may call a very
competent, not to say handsome, salary from the proceedings which you
make fun of. This is sad, and manifests a spirit of levity."

"I didn't mean it like that, sir."

"Very well," said the good man, "I am glad to perceive that you are
brought to a proper sense of the impropriety of your conduct. I will not
discharge you on this occasion, for the sake of your father, whom I have
known for so many years: but never let this occur again. Dancing is at
all times, to my mind, a very questionable amusement; but when it is
accompanied, as I perceived it was on this occasion, with gestures which
I cannot characterize by any other term than disgusting; and when further
you take the liberty of using my name in what I presume you intended for
a comic song, I must confess that I can hardly repress my feelings of
indignation. I hope you are penitent."

Horatio hung down his head, and said he was very sorry Mr. Prigg had
heard it, for he only intended it for his own amusement.

"I shall take care," said Mr. Prigg, "that you have less opportunity for
such exercises as I have unfortunately witnessed." And having thus
admonished the repentant youth, Mr. Prigg left him to his reflections. I
am glad Mr. Prigg did not return while the pale boy was reflecting.

CHAPTER VIII.

The pleasure of a country drive on a summer evening described as enhanced
by a pious mind.

It is only fair to the very able solicitors on both sides in the
memorable case of _Bumpkin_ v. _Snooks_ to state that the greatest
possible despatch was exercised on all occasions. Scarcely a day passed
without something being done, as Prigg expressed it, "to expedite
matters." Month after month may have passed away without any apparent
advance; but this in reality was not the case. Many appeals on what
seemed trifling matters had been heard; so many indeed that _Bumpkin_ v.
_Snooks_ had become a