ext line--

"And pyramids are pyramids in vales,"

without thinking for a moment, with a kind of proud sympathy, of certain
_other_ characters in this history? Well! but let us pass on.

The day after that on which Mr. Gammon had had a long interview with
Titmouse, at the new lodgings of the latter,--when, after a very skilful
effort, he had succeeded in reconciling Titmouse to a renewal of his
acquaintance with Tag-rag, upon that gentleman's making a complete and
abject apology for his late monstrous conduct,--Mr. Gammon wended his
way towards Oxford Street, and soon introduced himself once more to Mr.
Tag-rag, who was standing leaning against one of the counters in his
shop in a musing position, with a pen behind his ear, and his hands in
his breeches' pockets. Ten days had elapsed since he had expelled the
little impostor Titmouse from Satin Lodge, and during that interval he
had neither seen nor heard anything whatever of him. On now catching the
first glimpse of Mr. Gammon, he started from his musing posture, not a
little disconcerted, and agitation overspread his coarse deeply-pitted
face with a tallowy hue. What was in the wind? Mr. Gammon coming to him,
so long after what had occurred! Mr. Gammon who, having found out his
error, had discarded Titmouse! Tag-rag had a mortal dread of Gammon, who
seemed to him to glide like a dangerous snake into the shop, so quietly,
and _so deadly_! There was something so calm and imperturbable in his
demeanor, so blandly crafty, so ominously gentle and soft in the tone of
his voice, so penetrating in his eye, and he could throw such an
infernal smile over his features! Tag-rag might be likened to the
animal, suddenly shuddering as he perceives the glistening folds of the
rattlesnake noiselessly moving towards, or around him, in the long
grass. One glimpse of his blasting beauty of hue, and--Horror! all is
over.

If the splendid bubble of Titmouse's fortune _had_ burst in the manner
which he had represented, why Gammon here now? thought Tag-rag. It was
with, in truth, a very poor show of contempt and defiance, that, in
answer to the bland salutation of Gammon, Tag-rag led the way down the
shop into the little room which had been the scene of such an
extraordinary communication concerning Titmouse on a former occasion.

Gammon commenced, in a mild tone, with a very startling representation
of the criminal liability which Tag-rag had incurred by his wanton
outrage upon Mr.