young man was speaking truthfully: it was
a beautifully drawn essay on the immortality of the soul, especially
Bumpkin's.

"By George!" continued the youth, "it'll cost something--that brief."

Mr. Bumpkin twitched as if he had touched with ice a nerve of his hollow
tooth.

"If I had the money that case'll cost I wouldn't do any more work," said
the youth.

"What would'st thee be then?"

"Well, I should try and get an Associate's place in one of the Courts."

"Hem! but this ere Snooks ull have to pay, won't he?"

"Ah!" said Horatio, breathing deeply and indignantly, "I hope so; he's a
mean cuss--what d'ye think? never give Locust's boy so much as a
half-sovereign! Now don't such a feller deserve to lose? And do you
think Locust's boy will interest himself in his behalf?"

Bumpkin looked slily out of the corners of his eyes at the young man, but
the young man was impassive as stone, and pale as if made of the best
Carrara marble.

"But tell I, sir--for here we be at the plaace of Mr. Commissioner to
take oaths--what need be there o' this ere thing I be gwine to swear, for
I'll be danged if I understand a word of un, so I tell ee."

"Costs, my dear sir, costs!"

* * * * *

And I heard Bumpkin mutter to himself that "he'd he danged if this 'ere
feller wur so young as he made out--his 'ead wur a mighty dale older nor
his body."

CHAPTER X.

The last night before the first London expedition, which gives occasion
to recall pleasant reminiscences.

"I, Bumpkin, make oath and say," having been duly presented, and the
Commissioner having duly placed the Testament in Mr. Bumpkin's hands, and
said to him that to the best of his knowledge and belief the contents of
the "I Bumpkin" paper were true, the matter was over, and Mr. Snigger,
with the valuable document in his possession, might have returned to
London by the next train. But as Horatio afterwards observed to a
friend, he "was not quite so green." It was market day; Mr. Bumpkin was
a genial companion, and had asked him to partake of the Market Ordinary.
So thither at one o'clock they repaired, and a very fine dinner the pale
youth disposed of. It seemed in proportion to the wonderful brief whose
merits they had previously discussed. More and more did Horatio think
that a farmer's life was the life for him. He had never seen such
"feeding;" more and more would he like that month on trial in the
country; more a