y did!" exclaimed Titmouse, elevating his head
with sudden amazement, totally forgetting that same brandy and water he
had asked for--"and me never to think of it at the time."

"Now are you quite sure you wasn't in a _dream_ last night, all the
while?"

"Oh, dear, I wish I had been--I do, indeed, Hucky!"

"Well--you went into the street--what then?" inquired Huckaback, with a
sigh of exhausted attention.

"Why, when I'd got there, I could have bitten my tongue off, as one may
suppose; but, just as I was a-turning to go in again, who should come up
to me but Mr. Gammon, saying, he humbly hoped there was no offence."

"Oh, glorious! So it was all set right again, then--eh?"

"Why--I--I can't quite exactly say that much, either--but--when I went
back, (being obligated by Mr. Gammon being so pressing,) the other two
was sitting as pale as death; and though Mr. Gammon and me went on our
knees to the old gent, it wasn't any use for a long time; and all that
he could be got to say was, that perhaps I might look in again
to-night--(but they first made me swear a solemn oath on the Bible never
to tell any one anything about the fortune)--and then--you went,
Huckaback, and you did the business; they of course concluding I'd sent
you!"

"Oh, bother! that can't be. Don't you see how civilly they speak of me
in their letter? They're afraid of me, you may depend on it. By the way,
Tit, how much did you promise to come down, if you got the thing?"

"_Come down!_--I--really--by Jove, I didn't think of such a thing!
No--I'm sure I didn't"--answered Titmouse, as if new light had burst in
upon him.

"Why, Tit, I never see'd such a goose! That's it, depend upon it--it's
the whole thing! That's what they're driving at, in the note!--Why, Tit,
where _was_ your wits? D' ye think such gents as them--great lawyers,
too--will work for nothing?--You must write at once and tell them you
will come down handsome--say a couple of hundreds, besides
expenses--Gad! 'twill set you on your pins again, Titty!--Rot me! now I
think of it, if I didn't dream last night that you was a Member of
Parliament or something of that sort."

"A member of Parliament! And so I shall, if all this turns up well--I
shall be _that_ at least!" replied Titmouse, exultingly.

"You see if my dream don't come true! You see, Titty, I'm _always_
a-thinking of you, day and night. Never was two fellows that was such
close friends as we was from the very beginning of kno