THB LIFE OF PETER BUFF. 86 



expected, I was merely sent with directions to give him a shilling 

 at the same time. On reaching his house, and being shewn into the 

 room, I told him from whom I came. Guessing my errand, he said, 

 " O, tell Mr. Tight I shall not want that paper." " And the shilling, 

 sir ?" inquired I ; ** shall you want that ?" " No ; you may keep 

 that yourself, my boy." Thanking him, I made my best bow, and 

 departed. On getting to the office, the other boy and myself agreed 

 to spend the shilling ; so getting a couple of bottles of porter, by 

 the time Mr. Tight came in we were in what may be termed a state 

 of oblivion. " Well, Peter," said he, " did you see Mr. Toddle and 

 give him the paper ?" " Yes, sir, I saw him, and he said he should 

 not want the paper." " Well, then, where is it ?" " Here, sir," 

 cried I, pulling it out of my pocket, quite delighted to think I should 

 obtain great praise for my sagacity. " Ah, I dare say we can do 

 without him ; and where's the shilling, Peter ?" "He gave it me 

 to spend, sir," said I. " You're a comical fellow, Peter," said Mr. 

 Tight, laughing ; " but you'll never mgke a lawyer." " Why not, 

 sir ?" said I, attempting to cover an empty porter bottle with some 

 loose papers ; " do comical fellows never make lawyers ?" ** Never, 

 Peter, never; they are only fit forjudges." " Judges, sir !" said I, 

 with a stare. "Yes, judges, Peter; they are all comical fellows, 

 are judges ; you would be sui*prised, Peter, how they make the junior 

 barristers laugh." What should sui-prise me at this I could not tell; 

 whether it was the porter that had confused my intellect, or whether 

 it was totally past my comprehension, I cannot say ; and before I 

 had time to ask Mr. Tight for an explanation, he had entered his 

 own office. 



On leaving this gentleman, I went into the office of Mr. Blue- 

 nose, a merchant. I shall always remember him with affection ; he 

 was a kind, good soul — good to his men, his clerks, and to everybody 

 and everything. In his office I passed a very happy time. The 

 other boy and myself used to go through a sort of melodrama every 

 day, as opportunity served ; my fellow-clerk used to pei*sonate Count 

 Ticklerib, and I the virtuous peasant We used to have some terrinc 

 combats, and hundreds of times I have been ordered to be doubly 

 ironed and cast into the dreadful dimgeons of Ticklerib castle ; but 



