perhaps pass muster in a crowd with Mr. Alfred himself.'

There was no gainsaying the last clause, certainly; and Mr.
Snitchey, glancing at him, thought so. There was something
naturally graceful and pleasant in the very carelessness of his
air. It seemed to suggest, of his comely face and well-knit
figure, that they might be greatly better if he chose: and that,
once roused and made earnest (but he never had been earnest yet),
he could be full of fire and purpose. 'A dangerous sort of
libertine,' thought the shrewd lawyer, 'to seem to catch the spark
he wants, from a young lady's eyes.'

'Now, observe, Snitchey,' he continued, rising and taking him by
the button, 'and Craggs,' taking him by the button also, and
placing one partner on either side of him, so that neither might
evade him. 'I don't ask you for any advice. You are right to keep
quite aloof from all parties in such a matter, which is not one in
which grave men like you could interfere, on any side. I am
briefly going to review in half-a-dozen words, my position and
intention, and then I shall leave it to you to do the best for me,
in money matters, that you can: seeing, that, if I run away with
the Doctor's beautiful daughter (as I hope to do, and to become
another man under her bright influence), it will be, for the
moment, more chargeable than running away alone. But I shall soon
make all that up in an altered life.'

'I think it will be better not to hear this, Mr. Craggs?' said
Snitchey, looking at him across the client.

'I think not,' said Craggs. - Both listened attentively.