individual jealousies and interests must be forgotten for a time, sir, and union must be made against the common enemy. When the common enemy is routed, you will all set up for yourselves again; every lady and gentleman who has a part in the game, will go in on their own account and bowl away, to the best of their ability, at the testator's wicket; and nobody will be in a worse position than before. Think of it. Don't commit yourself now. You'll find us at the Half-Moon and Seven Stars in this village, at any time, and open to any reasonable proposition. Hem! Chiv, my dear fellow, go out and see what sort of a night it is."
Mr. Slyme lost no time in disappearing, and, it is to be presumed, in going round the corner. Mr. Tigg, planting his legs as wide apart as he could be reasonably expected by the most sanguine man to keep them, shook his head at Mr. Pecksniff and smiled.
"We must not be too hard," he said, "upon the little eccentricities of our friend Slyme. You saw him whisper me?"
Mr. Pecksniif had seen him.
"You heard my answer, I think?"
Mr. Pecksniff had heard it.
"Five shillings, eh!" said Mr. Tigg, thoughtfully. "Ah! what an extraordinary fellow! Very moderate too!"
Mr. Pecksniff made no answer.
"Five shillings!" pursued Mr. Tigg, musing: "and to be punctually repaid next week; that's the best of it. You heard that?"
Mr. Pecksniff had not heard that.
"No! You surprise me!" cried Tigg. "That's the cream of the thing, sir. I never knew that man fail to redeem a promise, in my life. You 're not in want of change, are you?"
"No," said Mr. Pecksniff, "thank you. Not at all."
"Just so," returned Mr. Tigg. "If you had been, I'd have got it for you." With that he began to whistle; but a dozen seconds had not elapsed when he stopped short, and, looking earnestly at Mr. Pecksniff, said:
"Perhaps you'd rather not lend Slyme five shillings!"
"I would much rather not," Mr. Pecksniff rejoined.
"Egad!" cried Tigg, gravely nodding his head as if some ground of objection occurred to him at that moment for the first time, "it's very possible you may be right. Would you entertain the same sort of objection to lending me five shillings, now?"
"Yes, I couldn't do it, indeed," said Mr. Pecksniff.
"Not even half-a-crown, perhaps?" urged Mr. Tigg.
"Not even half-a-crown."
"Why then we come," said Mr. Tigg, "to the ridiculously small amount of eighteenpence. Ha! ha!"
"And that," said Mr. Pecksniff, "would be equally objectionable."
On receipt of this assurance, Mr. Tigg shook him heartily by both hands, protesting with much earnestness, that he was one of the most consistent and remarkable men he had ever met, and that he desired the honour of his better acquaintance. He farther observed that there were many little characteristics about his friend Slyme, of which he could by
