pon another large tin boxes, on which,
in legible Roman characters, were written the names of the parties whose
property was thus immured. There they stood like so many sepulchres of
happiness, mausoleums raised over departed competence, while the names
of the parties inscribed appeared as so many registers of the folly and
contention of man.

But from all this Newton could draw no other conclusion than that his
uncle had plenty of business. The fire in the grate was on so small a
scale, that although he shivered with wet and cold, Newton was afraid to
stir it, lest it should go out altogether. From this circumstance he
drew a hasty and unsatisfactory conclusion that his uncle was not very
partial to spending his money.

But he hardly had time to draw these inferences and then take up the
newspaper, when the door opened, and another party was ushered into the
room by the clerk, who informed him, as he handed a chair, that Mr
Forster would return in a few minutes.

The personage thus introduced was a short young man, with a round face,
bushy eyebrows, and dogged countenance, implying wilfulness, without
ill-nature. As soon as he entered he proceeded to divest his throat of
a large shawl, which he hung over the back of a chair; then doffing his
great-coat, which was placed in a similar position, he rubbed his hands,
and walked up to the fire, into which he insinuated the poker, and
immediately destroyed the small symptoms of combustion which remained,
reducing the whole to one chaos of smoke.

"Better have left it alone, I believe," observed he, re-inserting the
poker, and again stirring up the black mass, for the fire was now
virtually defunct.

"You're not cold, I hope, sir?" said the party, turning to Newton.

"No, sir, not very," replied Newton, good-humouredly.

"I thought so; clients never are; nothing like law for _keeping you
warm_, sir. Always bring on your cause in the winter months. I do, if
I can, for it's positive suffocation in the dog-days!"

"I really never was _at law_," replied Newton, laughing; "but if ever I
have the misfortune, I shall recollect your advice."

"Never was at law! I was going to say, what the devil brings you here?
but that would have been an impertinent question.--Well, sir, do you
know there was a time at which I never knew what law was," continued the
young man, seating himself in a chair opposite to Newton. "It was many
years ago, when I was a younger brother and h