"My dear sir," he said to Mr. Lilyseed,
"you must not come to me at this stage of your
career, and tell me you're in difficulties. I mustn't
hear it; I can't hear it; I don't hear it.
You are not in difficulties; you are perfectly
solvent; but you have a large creditor, a cash
creditor, who is pressing you for a considerable
sum, and you give him substantial security for
his claim."

"But I have no such cred——," Mr.
Lilyseed was observing, when Mr. Darky
abruptly stopped him. The clever and complete
tradesman was only clever and complete in
his own peculiar way—the way of making
money out of the devouring element. In
the office of Mr. Darky he was again a
child.

"That creditor will press you, if I understand
you," returned Mr. Darky, "in the course
of the afternoon. You had better see me again
upon the matter, the first thing in the morning.
Good day."

Mr. Darky bowed Mr. Lilyseed out with a
profusion of nods, and winks, and signs, until
the clever and complete tradesman began to
see the course it was intended he should adopt.
A very little walking brought him back to his
counting-house, and a good deal of reflection
made him summon Mr. Dove, "Our Mr. Dove,"
as he was called, his leading shopman, to his
presence.

There were several reasons why Our Mr.
Dove was sent for. In the first place, he was
no relation of Mr. Lilyseed; in the next, he was
an extremely mild, feeble, and manageable young
man; and, in the next place, Mr. Lilyseed was
much pressed to find a reliable persecuting cash
creditor. Mr. Dove was sounded in the
counting-house, was invited to supper, and was spoken
to over some midnight pipes and tobacco, and
midnight whisky-and-water. Mr. Lilyseed
consumed the tobacco and whisky; Mr. Dove was
not in the habit of smoking, and preferred a
very weak and sweet mixture of wine-and-water.

"If I can do anything to serve you, sir,"
said Our Mr. Dove, in a timid and devoted
manner, "you may command me thoroughly.
I don't understand these things so well as I
ought, because they belong to the counting-house,
which is not my department; but I
suppose I may rely upon Mr. Darky, your solicitor,
to set me right?"

"Undoubtedly," returned Mr. Lilyseed, in a
satisfied and pompous tone (he was not only
Mr. Dove's master, but he was old enough to be
Mr. Dove's father). "Undoubtedly. Have you
got a solicitor?"

"Oh no," replied Mr. Dove, very modestly,
"I never had any occasion for one."

"I thought not," said Mr. Lilyseed, "and I
have provided accordingly. If you will step in,
the first thing in the morning, to a Mr. Dusky,
a professional gentleman, whose place of business
is only four doors from Mr. Darky's, at No. 15
in the same row, you can instruct him to sue
me for five thousand pounds, debt and interest,
and you will find him thoroughly prepared to
act upon your instructions."

The next day Our Mr. Dove instructed Mr.
Dusky, who returned more instruction than he
received. A writ was issued in the case of
Dove versus Lilyseed. A deed of assignment, a
bill of sale, was proposed by Mr. Darky, acting
for Mr. Lilyseed, to stop the action. The action
was stopped by Mr. Dusky, acting for Mr. Dove,
in consideration of Mr. Lilyseed executing
this deed, conveying six thousand five hundred
pounds in stock and book debts, and paying
five hundred pounds in cash to Mr. Dove, within
four-and-twenty hours. The margin of two
thousand pounds, excess, was left to cover
depreciation. An appointment was made to do
this, at Mr. Lilyseed's establishment, before half
this time had expired. Mr. Lilyseed had
obtained the five hundred pounds, with great
difficulty, from a client of Mr. Darky's, a retiring
capitalist, who advanced upon a substantial
deposit of stock to twice the amount. This
capitalist did not wish his name to appear, and
the whole business was, therefore, transacted
through Mr. Darky.

At eleven o'clock one morning, the two
solicitors, Mr. Dusky and Mr. Darky, attended in
Mr. Lilyseed's sitting-room to patch up the
action of Dove versus Lilyseed. The plaintiff
and defendant, of course, were both present.

"You are willing," said Mr. Dusky, speaking
to his client, Mr. Dove, "to accept the bill of
sale for six thousand five hundred pounds in
stock-in-trade (according to the inventory
attached), and a cash payment of five hundred
pounds, as a satisfaction of your claim against
Mr. Lilyseed?"

"Well," replied Our Mr. Dove, who acted his
part to perfection, "I really know so little of
these matters, that I must leave myself entirely
in your hands."

"Mr. Darky," said Mr. Dusky, addressing
his fellow-solicitor, "will you instruct
your client, Mr. Lilyseed, to execute the
deed?"

Mr. Darky did as he was requested, and the
bill of sale, in favour of Mr. Dove, after a little
whispering, a little mumbling, a little pointing,
a sound of quill pens scratching upon parchment,
and much placing of forefingers upon
small red wafers, was duly signed, sealed, and
delivered.

A promissory note for five thousand pounds,
payable on demand, and bearing Mr. Lilyseed's
signature in favour of Mr. Dove, was handed
over to the latter gentleman, that he might
sign a memorandum and receipt on its back,
referring to the deed and the sum of five hundred
pounds which was at that moment to be
paid.

"Where do I put my name?" asked the mild
and feeble Mr. Dove, as he took a very copious
dip of ink.

"Immediately under the memorandum,"
exclaimed the two solicitors, almost simultaneously.

"Here?" again asked Mr. Dove, putting his