poase thee'd like a glass, Mr. Jigger."

"I don't care about it for myself," answered the youth; "but if you like
to have one I'll join you with pleasure."

"So us wool then;" and up they pulled at the sign of the "Merry-go-round"
on Addlehead Green.

"Bain't bad tackle!" said Mr. Bumpkin, tossing off his glass.

"No," responded Horatio, "I've tasted worse medicine. I quite enjoy my
ride, Mr. Bumpkin; I wish we had a dozen more affidavits to swear."

"I doan't," said the client; "I sworn a goodish many on em as it be. I
doan't think that air Snooks can bate un."

"I don't think he can," said Horatio, as they once more climbed into the
old-fashioned gig; "but talk about paper, you should see your brief:
that's a caution and no mistake!"

"Is ur now? In what way, sir?"

"Lor, how I should like a cigar, Mr. Bumpkin, if I'd only got my case
with me, but unfortunately--"

"Would ur--then thee shall 'ave one; here, Mr. Ostler, jest goo and fetch
one o' them there what d'ye call ems."

"O, do they sell them down here? Cigars--cigars," said Horatio, "I
wasn't aware of that."

"Now then, sir; what about this ere what d'ye call un--beef?"

Mr. Bumpkin, being a very artful man, was inwardly chuckling at the
successful manoeuvring by which he was drawing out this pale
unsophisticated London youth, and hoped by dint of a little strategy to
learn a good deal before they parted company.

"Brief! brief!" said Horatio, laughing.

"Ah! so it wur; thee said he wur a hell of a big un."

"Yes, and I wrote him myself."

"Did ur now; then thee knows all about un?"

"From beginning to end--he is a clipper, I can tell you; a regular
whacker."

"I hope he'll whack thic Snooks then."

"He's a beauty!" rejoined Horatio, much to his companion's surprise; for
here was this young man speaking of a brief in the same terms that he
(Bumpkin) would use with reference to a prize wurzel or swede. A brief
being a _beauty_ sounded somewhat strange in the ears of a farmer who
could associate the term with nothing that didn't grow on the farm.

"I dare say you've heard of Macaulay's England?" asked the lad.

"Whose England?"

"Macaulay's."

"I've eerd o' England, if you mean this ere country, sartainly."

"You've heard of Macaulay's History, I mean?"

"Can't say as ever I eerd tell on un."

"Well, there's as much in your brief as there is in that book, and that's
saying something, ain't it?"

"Zo't be; but what th' devil