with." Now, Mr. Prigg
knew pretty well the position of the respective parties himself; so it
was not so much for his own information that he made these inquiries as
to infuse into Bumpkin's mind a notion of the importance of the case.

"Now," said he, throwing down the pen, "this is a very serious matter,
Mr. Bumpkin."

This was a comfort, and Bumpkin looked agreeably surprised and vastly
important.

"A very serious case," and again the tips of the fingers were brought in
contact.

"I spoase we can't bring un afore jusseses, sir?"

"Well, you see the criminal law is dangerous; you can't get damages, and
you may get an action for malicious prosecution."

"I think we ought to mak un pay for 't."

"That is precisely my own view, but I am totally at a loss to understand
the reason of such outrageous conduct on the part of this Snooks. Now
don't be offended, Mr. Bumpkin, if I put a question to you. You know, we
lawyers like to search to the bottom of things. I can understand, if you
had owed him any money--"

"Owe un money!" exclaimed Bumpkin contemptuously; "why I could buy un out
and out."

"Ah, quite so, quite so; so I should have supposed from what I know of
you, Mr. Bumpkin."

"Lookee ere, sir," said the farmer; "I bin a ard workin man all my life,
paid my way, twenty shillins in the pound, and doant owe a penny as fur
as I knows."

"And if you did, Mr. Bumpkin," said the lawyer with a good-natured laugh,
"I dare say you could pay."

"Wull, I bleeve there's no man can axe me for nothing; and thank God,
what I've got's my own; and there aint many as got pootier stock nor
mine--all good bred uns, Mr. Prigg."

"Yes, I've often heard your cattle praised."

"He be a blagard if ur says I owed un money."

"O, dear, Mr. Bumpkin, pray don't misunderstand me; he did not, that I am
aware, allege that he took the pig because you owed him money; and even
if you did, he could not legally have done so. Now this is not a mere
matter of debt; it's a very serious case of trespass."

"Ay; zo 't be sir; that was my bleef, might jist as wull a tooked baacon
out o' baacon loft."

"Just the same. Quite so--quite so!"

"And I want thee, Mr. Prigg, to mak un pay for't--mak un pay, sir; it
beant so much th' pig."

"Quite so: quite so: that were a very trifling affair, and might be
settled in the County Court; but, in fact, it's not the pig at all, it's
trespass, and you want to make him answerable in damages."