l expenses
incurred under his retainer. I said that Gammon gave his confiding
client an _alleged_ copy of this agreement;--it was not a real copy, for
certain stipulations appeared in each, which were not intended to appear
_in_ the other, for reasons which were perfectly satisfactory
to--Messrs. Quirk, Gammon, and Snap. When Gammon had got to this point,
he thought it the fitting opportunity for producing a second five-pound
note. He did so, and put Titmouse thereby into an ecstasy, which pushed
out of his head for a while all recollection of what had happened to the
outside of it. He had at that moment nearly eleven pounds in hard cash.
Gammon easily obtained from him an account of his little money
transactions with Huckaback--of which, however, all he could tell
was--that for ten shillings down, he had given a written engagement to
pay fifty pounds on getting the estate. Of this Gammon made a careful
memorandum, explaining to Titmouse the atrocious villany of
Huckaback--and, in short, that if he (Titmouse) did not look very
sharply about him, he would be robbed right and left; so that it was of
the utmost consequence to him early to learn how to distinguish between
false and true friends. Gammon went on to assure him that the instrument
which he had given to Huckaback, was probably, in point of law, not
worth a farthing, on the ground of its being both fraudulent and
usurious; and intimated something, which Titmouse did not very
distinctly comprehend, about the efficacy of a bill in equity for a
_discovery_; which--merely to expose villany--at a very insignificant
expense, (not exceeding L100,) would enable the plaintiff in equity to
put the defendant in equity, (_i. e._ Huckaback,) in the way of
declaring, on his solemn oath, that he had advanced the full sum of L50;
and having obtained this important and satisfactory result, Titmouse
would have the opportunity of disproving the statement of
Huckaback--_if he could_: which of course he could not. By this process,
however, a little profitable employment would have been afforded to a
certain distinguished firm in Saffron Hill--and that was _something_--to
Gammon.

"But, by the way, talking of money," said Titmouse, suddenly, "you can't
think how surprising handsome Mr. Tag-rag has behaved to me!"

"Indeed, my dear sir!" exclaimed Gammon, with real curiosity, "what has
he done?"

"Advanced to me five pounds--all of his own head!"

"Are you serious, Mr. Titmouse?"