_wine that maketh glad the heart of
man_--and also _softens_ it;--for the more he drank, the more and more
pitiful became his mood--the more sensitive was he to compassionate
suggestions; and by the time that he had finished the decanter, he was
all but in tears! These virtuous feelings brought their own reward,
too--for, from time to time, they conjured up, as it were, the faint
rainbow image of a bond conditioned for the payment of TEN THOUSAND
POUNDS!

To change the metaphor a little--by the time that old Quirk had reached
his office in the morning, the heated iron had cooled. If his heart
_had_ retained any of the maudlin softness of the preceding evening, the
following pathetic letter from Titmouse might have made a very deep
impression upon it, and fixed him, in the benevolent and disinterested
mind of the old lawyer, as indeed his "poor neighbor." The following is
an exact copy of that lucid and eloquent composition. It had been
written by Mr. Titmouse, all out of his own head; and with his own hand
had he left it at the office, at a late hour on the preceding evening.

"_To Messrs._ QUERK, GAMON, _and_ SNAPE.

"GENTS,

"Y^r Esteem'd Favor lies now before Me, which _must Say_ have Given
me Much Concern, seeing I Thought it was All Made up betwixt us
That was of Such an _Unpleasant Nature_ on Tuesday night (ultimo)
w^h I most humbly Own (and Acknowledge) was all alone and
_intirely_ of My Own Fault, and Not in the Least Your's which
behaved to me, Must say, In the most Respectful and superior manner
that was possible to think Of, for I truly Say I never was In the
Company of Such Imminent and Superior Gents before In my Life w^h
will take my Oath sincerely Of, Gents. Please to consider the
Brandy (w^h _do_ think _was Uncommon Stiff_) such a flustrum As I
was In before, to, w^h was Evident to All of Us there then
Assemblid and very natral like to be the Case Seeing I have nevir
known what Peas of Mind was since I behaved in Such a _Oudacious_
way w^h truly was the case I can't Deny to Such Gents as Yourselfs
that were doing me such Good Fortune And Kindness to me as it would
Be a Dreadful _sin and shame_ (such as Trust I can never be Guilty
of) to be (w^h am not) and never Can Be insensible Of, Gents do
Consider all this Favorably because of my humble Amends w^h I here
Make with the greatest T