"Hark ye, Bunce," continued the lawyer. "Do you know what that means?
Does your brain take in its meaning, my friend?"

"Friend, indeed!" was the very natural exclamation of the pedler as he
shrank from the hand of the lawyer, which had been affectionately laid
upon his shoulder. "Friend, indeed! I say, Lawyer Pippin, if it hadn't
been for you, I'd never ha' been in this fix. I'm ruined by you."

"Ruined by me! Pshaw, Bunce, you are a fool. I was your friend all the
time."

"Oh, yes! I can see how. But though you did stop, when they began, yet
you did enough to set them on. That was like a good lawyer, I guess, but
not so much like a friend. Had you been a friend, you could have saved
my property from the beginning."

"Nay, nay, Bunce; you do me wrong. They had sworn against you long ago,
and you know them well enough. The devil himself couldn't stop 'em when
once upon the track. But don't be down in the mouth. I can save you
now."

"Save me!"

"Ay! don't you hear? They're singing the regulation song. Once that
blaze goes down, they'll be after you. It's a wonder they've left you
here so long. Now's your time. You must be off. Fly by the back door,
and leave it to me to get damages for your loss of property."

"You, lawyer? well, I should like to know how you calkilate to do that?"