250 OCCASIONAL HAPPY THOUGHTS. 



eh?" But this is an ideal Sharply at home, and not 

 Sharply the real on the bench. 



This occurs to me in the few seconds that Mr. Sharply 

 takes to consider the case, and he interrupts my reflections 

 with — 



" What do you consider the right fare to your house ? " 



I answer boldly, " Eight shillings," this being rather a 

 fancy price of my own than what I am obliged to give 

 when I take a cab from town to my Cottage near a Wood, 

 known as " The Hole," near Squedgely, Middlesex. 



" Twelve shillings there and back, you would consider 

 quite sufficient?" asks Mr. Sharply, giving the finishing 

 touches to the case. I reply, that this sum would be, in 

 my opinion, Munificent. [What a row there would have been 

 at my gate had I ever offered at cabman this sum as his fare 

 " there " from town, let alone " and back."] 



Mr. Sharply decides in a rapid, off-hand manner. 

 " You'll " (to my Aunt) " pay him twelve shillings. Cab- 

 man pay his own costs. Now, then, call the next case." 



I think the next case must be that of our friend the Rum 

 Lady, as I see the dreaded Purkiss rising to address the 

 Magistrate as we are leaving the Court. 



I look back once, tenderly, at Mr. Sharply, with a sort 

 of lingering idea that he will yet send me the invitation to 

 dinner, or, at all events, wave his hand to me genially from 

 the bench. Nothing of the sort. I and my Aunt's case 

 have gone clean out of his head, and he is telling Mr. 

 Purkiss ''that he really can't listen to this; that he hasn't 

 got time for these details;" and becoming once more so 



