fying document, which being directed to his lodgings correctly, he
obtained as soon as he had got home, after quitting Mr. Tag-rag, about
ten o'clock, he hastened to his friend Huckaback. That gentleman (who
seemed now virtually recognized by Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap as
Titmouse's confidant) shook his head ominously, exclaiming--"Blarny,
blarny!" and a bitter sneer settled on his disagreeable features, till
he had read down to the postscript; the perusal of which effected a
sudden change in his feelings. He declared, with a great oath, that
Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap were "perfect gentlemen," and would "do
the right thing after all--Titmouse might depend upon it;" an assurance
which greatly cheered Titmouse, to whose keen discernment it never once
occurred to refer Huckaback's altered tone to the right cause, viz. the
lubricating quality of the postscript; and since Titmouse did not allude
to it, no more did Mr. Huckaback, although his own double misnomer stuck
not a little in his throat. So effectual, indeed, had been that most
skilful postscript upon the party at whom it had been aimed, that he
exerted himself unceasingly to revive Titmouse's confidence in Messrs.
Quirk, Gammon, and Snap; and so far succeeded, that Titmouse returned to
his lodgings at a late hour, a somewhat happier, if not a _wiser_ man
than he had left them. By the time, however, that he had got into bed,
having once more spelled over the note in question, he felt as
despondent as ever, and thought that Huckaback had not known what he had
been talking about. He also adverted to an _apparently_ careless
allusion by Huckaback to the injuries which had been inflicted upon him
by Titmouse on the Wednesday night: and which, by the way, Huckaback
determined it should be no fault of his if Titmouse easily forgot! He
hardly knew why--but he disliked this particularly.--Whom had he,
however, in the world, but Huckaback? In company with him alone,
Titmouse felt that his pent-up feelings could discharge themselves.
Huckaback had certainly a wonderful knack of keeping up Titmouse's
spirits, whatever cause he fancied he might really have for depression.
In short, he longed for the Sunday morning, ushering in a day of rest
and sympathy. Titmouse would indeed then have to look back upon an
agitating and miserable week, what with the dismal upsetting of his
hopes in the manner I have described, and the tyrannical treatment which
he had experienced at Tag-