and his face the opposite. Mr. Hardie eyed him
and saw that his coat was rusty, and his hat
napless: then Mr. Hardie smelt a beggar, and
prepared to parry all attempts upon his purse.

"I hope I see my old master well," said
Skinner, coaxingly.

"Pretty well in body, Skinner; thank you."

"I had a deal of trouble to find you, sir. But
I heard of the great lawsuit between Mr. Alfred
and you, and I knew Mr. Heathfield was your
solicitor. So I watched at his place day after
day: and at last you came. Oh, I was so
pleased when I saw your noble figure; but I
wouldn't speak to you in the street, for fear of
disgracing you; I'm such a poor little guy to be
addressing a gentleman like you."

Now this sounded well on the surface, but
below there was a subtle something Mr. Hardie
did not like at all: but he took the cue, and
said, "My poor Skinner, do you think I would
turn up my nose at a faithful old servant like
you? have a glass of wine with me, and tell me
how you have been getting on." He went behind
a screen and opened a door, and soon returned
with a decanter, leaving the door open: now in
the next room sat, unbeknown to Skinner, a young
woman with white eyelashes, sewing buttons
on Mr. Hardie's shirts. That astute gentleman
gave her instructions, and important ones too,
with a silent gesture; then reappeared and filled
the bumper high to his faithful servant. They
drank one another's healths with great cordiality,
real or apparent. Mr. Hardie then asked Skinner
carelessly if he could do anything for him.
Skinner said, "Well, sir, I am very poor."

"So am I between you and me," said Mr.
Hardie confidentially; "I don't mind telling
you; those confounded Commissioners of Lunacy
wrote to Alfred's trustees, and I have been
forced to replace a loan of five thousand pounds.
That Board always sides with the insane. That
crippled me, and drove me to the Exchange:
and now what I had left is all invested in time-
bargains. A month settles my fate: a little
fortune, or absolute beggary."

"You'll be lucky, sir, you'll be lucky," said
Skinner cheerfully; "you have such a long
head: not like poor little me. The Exchange
soon burnt my earnings. Not a shilling left of
the thousand pounds, sir, you were so good as to
give me for my faithful services. But you will
give me another chance, sir, I know; I'll take
better care this time." Mr. Hardie shook his
head sorrowfully, and said it was impossible.
Skinner eyed him askant, and remarked quietly,
and half aside, "Of course I could go to the other
party: but I shouldn't like to do that. They
would come down handsome."

"What other party?"

"La, sir, what other party? why Mrs. Dodd's,
or Mr. Alfred's; here's the trial coming on, you
know, and of course if they could get me to go
on the box and tell all I know, or half what I
know, why the judge and jury would say lockin
Mr. Alfred up for mad was a conspiracy."

Mr. Hardie quaked internally: but he hid it
grandly, and once more was a Spartan gnawed
beneath his robe by this little fox. "What,"
said he sternly, "after all I and mine have done
for you and yours, would you be so base as to go
and sell yourself to my enemies?"

"Never, sir," shouted Skinner zealously:
then in a whisper, "not if you'll make a bid for
me."

"How much do you demand?"

"Only another thousand, sir."

"A thousand pounds!"

"Why, what is that to you, sir: you are rich
enough to buy the eighth commandment out of
the tables of ten per cent: and then the lawsuit,
Hardie versus Hardies!"

"You have spoken plainly at last," said Mr.
Hardie grimly. "This is extorting money by
threats. Do you know that nothing is more
criminal, nor more easy to punish? I can take
you before a magistrate, and imprison you on the
instant for this attempt. I will, too."

"Try it," said Skinner coolly. "Where's
your witness?"

"Behind that screen."

Peggy came forward directly, with a pen in
her hand. Skinner was manifestly startled and
disconcerted. "I have taken all your words down,
Mr. Skinner," said Peggy softly: then to her
master, "Shall I go for a policeman, sir?"

Mr. Hardie reflected. "Yes," said he sternly:
"there's no other course with such a lump of
treachery and ingratitude as this."

Peggy whipped on her bonnet.

"What a hurry you are in," whined Skinner;
"a policeman ought to be the last argument for
old friends to run to." Then, fawning spitefully,
"Don't talk of indicting me, sir," said he; "it
makes me shiver: why how will you look when
I up and tell them all how Captain Dodd was
took with apoplexy in our office, and how you
nailed fourteen thousand pounds off his senseless
body, and forgot to put them down in your
balance-sheet, so they are not whitewashed off
like the rest."

"Any witnesses to all this, Skinner?"

"Yes, sir."

"Who?"

"Well; your own conscience for one," said
Skinner.

"He is mad, Peggy," said Mr. Hardie, shrugging
his shoulders. He then looked Skinner full
in the face, and said, "Nobody was ever seized
with apoplexy in my office. Nobody ever gave
me £14,000. And if this is the probable tale with
which you come here to break the law and
extort money, leave my house this instant: and if
ever you dare to utter this absurd and malicious
slander, you shall lie within four stone walls, and
learn what it is for a shabby vagabond to come
without a witness to his back, and libel a man of
property and honour."

Skinner let him run on in this loud triumphant
strain till he had quite done; then put out a
brown skinny finger, and poked him lightly in