squared his elbows, and put his face close to the copybook, and squinted horribly at the lines-how from the very first moment of having the pen in his hand, be began to wallow in blots, and to daub himself with ink up to the very roots of his hair-how if he did by accident form a letter properly, he immedistely smeared it out again with his preparations to make another-how at every fresh mistake, there was a fresh burst of merriment from the child, and a louder and not less hearty laugh from poor Kit himself-and how there was all the way through, notwithstanding, a gentle wish on her part to teach, and an anxious desire on his to learn-to relate all these particulars would, uo doubt, occupy more space and time than they deserve. It will be sufficient to say that the lesson was given-that evening passed and night came on-that the old man again grew restless and impatient-that he quitted the house secretly at the same hour as before-and that the child was once more left alone within its gloomy walls.

And now that I have carried this history so far in my own character, and introduced these personages to the reader, I shall, for the convenience of the narrative, detach myself from its further course, and leave those who have prominent and necessary parts in it to speak and act for for themselves.

CHAPTER IV.

Mr. and Mrs. Quilp resided on Tower Hill; and in her bower on Tower Hill Mrs. Quilp was lelt to pine the absence of her lord, when he quitted her on the business which he has been already seen to transact.

Mr. Quilp could scarcely be said to be of any particuIr trade and calling, though his pursuits were diversified and his occupations numerous. He collected the rents of whole colonies of filthy streets and alleys by the water side, advanced money to the seamen and petty officers of merchant vessels, had a share in the ventures of divers mates of East Indiamen, smoked his sinuggled cigars under the very nose of the custom house, and made appointments on Change with men in glazed hats and round jackets pretty well every day. On the Surrey side of the river was a small rat-infested, dreary yard, called "Quilp's Wharf," in which were a little wooden counting-house burrowing all awry in the dust, as if it had fallen from the clouds and ploughed into the ground; a few fragments of rusty anchors; several large iron rings; some piles of rotten wood; and two or three heaps of sheet copper, crumpled, cracked, and battered. On Quilp's Wharf, Daniel Quilp was a ship-broker, yet to judge from these appearances he must either have been a ship-broker on a very small scale, or have broken his ships up very small indeed. Neither did the place present any extraordinary aspect of life or activity, as its only human occupant was an amphibious boy in a canvass suit, whose sole change of occupation was from sitting on the head of a pile and throwing stones into the mud when the tide was out, to stand with his hands in his pockets gazing listlessly on the motion and on the bustle of the river at high water.

The dwarf's lodging on Tower Hill comprised, besides the needful accommodation for himself and Mrs. Quilp, a small sleeping-closet for that lady's mother, who resided with the couple and waged perpetual war with Daniel; of whom, notwithstanding, she stood in no slight dread. Indeed, the ugly creature contrived by some means or other—whether by his ugliness or his ferocity

or natural cunning, is no great matter, to impress with a wholesome fear of his anger, most of those with whom he was brought into daily contact and communication. Over nobody had he such complete ascendancy as Mrs. Quilp herself-a pretty little, mild-spoken, blue-eyed woman, who having allied herself in wedlock to the dwarf in one of those strange infatuations of which examples are by no means scarce, performed a sound practical penance for her folly, every day of her life. It has been said that Mrs. Quilp was pining in her bower. In her bower she was, but not alone, for besides the old lady her mother, of whom mention has recently been made, there were present some half dozen ladies of the neighbourhood, who had happened by a strange accident (and also by a little understanding among themselves) to drop in one after another, just about tea time. This being a season favourable to conversation, and the room being a cool, shady, lazy kind of place, with some plants at the open window shutting out the dust, and interposing pleasantly enough between the tea-table within and the old tower without, it is no wonder that the ladies felt an inclination to talk and linger, especially when there are taken into account the additional inducements of fresh butter, new bread, shrimps, and water-cresses.

Now, the ladies being together under these circumstances, it was extremely natural that the discourse should turn upon the propensity of mankind to tyrannise over the weaker sex, and the duty that devolved upon the weaker sex to resist that tyranny and assert their rights and dignity. It was natural for four reasons; first, because Mrs. Quilp being a young woman and notoriously under the dominion of her husband, ought to be excited to rebel; secondly, because Mrs. Quilp's parent was known to be laudably shrewish in her disposition, and inclined to resist male authority; thirdly, because each visiter wished to show for herself how superior sho was in this respect to the generality of her sex; and, fourthly, because the company being accustomed to scandalise each other in pairs, were deprived of their usual subject of conversation now that they were all assembled in close friendship, and had consequently no better employment than to attack the common enemy.

Moved by these considerations, a stout lady opened the proceedings by inquiring, with an air of great concern and sympathy, how Mr. Quilp was; whereupon Mr. Quilp's wife's mother replied sharply, "Oh! he was well enough-nothing much was ever the matter with himand ill weeds were sure to thrive." All the ladies then sighed in concert, shook their heads gravely, and looked at Mrs. Quilp as at a martyr.

"Ah!" said the spokesman, "I wish you'd give her a little of your advice, Mrs. Jiniwin." Mrs. Quilp had been a Miss Jiniwin it should be observed" Nobody knows better than you, ma'am, what us women owe to ourselves."

"Owe indeed, ma'am !" replied Mrs. Jiniwin. "When my poor husband, her dear father, was alive, if he had ever ventured a cross word to me, I'd have" the good old lady did not finish the sentence, but she twisted off the head of a shrimp with a vindictiveness which seemed to imply that the action was in some degree a substitute for words. In this light it was clearly understood by the other party, who immediately replied, with great approbation; "You quite enter into my feelings, ma'am, and it's jist what I'd do myself."

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But you have no call to do it," said Mrs. Jiniwin. "Luckily for you, you have no more occasion to do it than I had."

"No woman need have, if she was true to herself," rejoined the stout lady.

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Do you hear that, Betsy?" said Mrs. Jiniwin, in a warning voice. "How often have I said the very same words to you, and almost gone down on my knees when I spoke 'em!"

Poor Mrs. Quilp, who had looked in a state of helpless ness from one face of condolence to another, coloured, smiled, and shook her head doubtfully. This was the signal for a general clamour, which beginning in a low murmur gradually swelled into a great noise, in which every body spoke at once, and all said that she being a young woman had no right to set up her opinions against the experience of those who knew so much better; that it was very wrong of her not to take the advice of people who had nothing at heart but her good; that it was next door to being downright ungrateful to con

duct herself in that manner; that if she had no respect

"It's all very fine talk," said Mrs. Quilp, with much simplicity, "but I know that if I was to die to-morrow, Quilp could marry any body he pleased-now that he could, I know!"

There was quite a scream of indignation at this idea. Marry whom he pleased! They would like to see him dare to think of marrying any of them; they would like to see the faintest approach to such a thing One lady (a widow) was quite certain she should stab him if he hinted at it.

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Very well," said Mrs. Quilp, nodding her head, "as I said just now, it's very easy to talk, but I again say that I know that I'm sure-Quilp has such a way with him when he likes, that the best looking woman here couldn't refuse him if I was dead, and she was free, and he chose to make love to her. Come!"

Every one bridled up at this remark, as much as to say, "I know you mean me. Let him try-that's all." And yet for some hidden reason they were all angry with the widow, and each lady whispered in her neighbour's ear. that it was very plain the said widow thought herself the person referred to, and what a puss she was!

"Mother knows," said Mrs. Quilp, "that what I say is quite correct, for she often said so before we were married. Didn't you say so, mother?"

This inquiry involved the respected lady in rather a delicate position, for she certainly had been active in making her daughter Mrs. Quilp; and, besides, it was not supporting the family credit to encourage the idea that she had married a man whom nobody else would have. On the other hand, to exaggerate the captivating qualities of her son-in-law would be to weaken the cause of revolt, in which all her energies were deeply engaged. Beset by these opposing considerations, Mrs. Jiniwin admitted the powers of insinuation, but denied the right to govern, and with a timely compliment to the stout lady brought back the discussion to the point from which it had strayed.

"Oh! it's a sensible and proper thing indeed, what

soul her own, he makes her tremble with a word, and even with a look he frightens her to death, and she hasn't the spirit to give him a word back, no, not a single word."

Notwithstanding that the fact had been notorious be forehand to all the tea-drinkers, and had been discussed and expatiated on at every tea-drinking in the neighbourhood for the last twelve months, this official communication was no sooner made than they all began to talk at once, and to vie with each other in vehemence and volubility. Mrs. George remarked, that people would talk, that people had often said this to her before, that Mrs. Simmons then and there present had told her so twenty times, that she had always said, "No, Henrietta Simmons, unless I see it with my own eyes and hear it with my own ears, I never will believe it." Mrs. Simmons corroborated this testimony, and added strong evidence of her own. The lady from the Minories recounted a suceessful course of treatment under which she had placed her own husband, who, from manifesting one month after marriage unequivocal symptoms of the tiger, had by this means become subdued into a perfect lamb. Another lady recounted her own personal strug. gle and final triumph, in the course whereof she had found it necessary to call in her mother and two aunts, and to weep incessantly night and day for six weeks. A third, who in the general confusion could secure no other listener, fastened herself upon a young woman still unmarried, who happened to be amongt them, and conjured her as she valued her own peace of mind and happiness, to profit by this solemn occasion, to take example from the weakness of Mrs. Quilp, and from that time forth to direct her whole thoughts to taming and subduing the rebellious spirit of man. The noise was at its height, and half the company had elevated their voices into a perfect shriek in order to drown the voices of the other half, when Mrs. Jiniwin was seen to change colour and shake her fore-finger stealthily, as if exhorting them to silence. Then, and not till then, Daniel Quilp himself, the cause and occasion of all this clamour, was observed

to be in the room, looking on and listening with profound attention.

"Go on, ladies, go on," said Daniel. "Mrs. Quilp, pray ask the ladies to stop to supper, and have a couple of lobsters and something light and palatable."

“I—I—did'nt ask them to tea, Quilp," stammered I is wife."It's quite an accident."

"So much the better, Mrs. Quilp; these accidental parties are always the pleasantest," said the dwarf, rubbing his hands so hard that he seemed to be engaged in manufacturing, of the dirt with which they were incrusted, little charges for popguns. What! Not going, ladies, you are not going, surely?"

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His fair enemies tossed their heads slightly as they sought their respective bonnets and shawls, but left all verbal contention to Mrs. Jiniwin, who, finding herself in the position of champion, made a faint struggle to sustain the character.

"And why not stop to supper, Quilp," said the old lady, "if my daughter had a mind?"

"To be sure," rejoined Daniel-"why not?" "There's nothing dishonest or wrong in a supper, I hope," said Mrs. Jiniwin.

"Surely not," returned the dwarf. "Why should there be? Nor any thing unwholesome either, unless there's lobster salad or prawns, which I'm told are not good for digestion."

“And you would'nt like your wife to be attacked with that, or any thing else that would make her uneasy, would you?" said Mrs. Jiniwin.

"Not for a score of worlds," replied the dwarf, with a grin. "Not even to have a score of mothers-in-law at the same time-and what a blessing that would be!"

"My daughter's your wife, Mr. Quilp, certainly," said the old lady, with a giggle, meant for satirical, and to "imply that he needed to be reminded of the fact; "your wedded wife."

"So she is, certainly, so she is,” observed the dwarf. "And she has a right to do as she likes, I hope, Quilp," said the old lady, trembling, partly with anger and partly with a secret fear of her impish son-in-law.

"Hope she has," he replied. "Oh, don't you know, she has? Don't you know she has, Mrs. Jiniwin?"

"I know she ought to have, Quilp, and would have, if she was of my way of thinking."

“Why an't you of your mother's way of thinking, my dear?" said the dwarf, turning round and addressing his wife, "why don't you always imitate your mother, my dear? She's the ornament of your sex-your father said so every day of his life, I am sure he did."

"Her father was a blessed creetur, Quilp, and worth twenty thousand of some people," said Mrs. Jiniwin; "twenty hundred million thousand."

"I should like to have known him," remarked the dwarf. "I dare say he was a blessed creature then; but I'm sure he is now. It was a happy release, I believe he had suffered a long time?"

The old lady gave a gasp, but nothing came of it; Quilp resumed, with the same malice in his eye and the same sarcastic smile on his tongue.

"You look ill, Mrs. Jiniwin; I know you have been exciting yourself too much-talking perhaps, for it is your weakness. Go to bed. Do go to bed."

"I shall go when I please, Quilp, and not before."
"But please to go now. Do please to go now," said

the dwarf.

The old woman looked angrily at him, but retreated as he advanced, and falling back before him, suffered him

to shut the door upon her and bolt her out among the guests, who were by this time crowding down stairs.Being left alone with his wife, who sat trembling in a corner, with her eyes fixed upon the ground, the little man planted himself before her, and folding his arms, looked steadily at her for some time without speaking. "Mrs, Quilp," he said, at last.

"Yes, Quilp," she replied, meekly.

Instead of pursuing the theme he had in his mind, Quilp folded his arms again, and looked at her more sternly than before, while she averted her eyes and kept them on the ground.

Mrs. Quilp."

Yes, Quilp."

"If ever you listen to these beldames again, I'll bite you."

With this laconic threat, which he accompanied with a snarl that gave him the appearance of being particularly in earnest, Mr. Quilp bade her clear the tea-board away, and bring the rum. The spirit being set before him in a huge case-bottle, which had originally come out of some ship's locker, he ordered cold water and the box of cigars; and these being supplied, he settled himself in an arm-chair, with his large head and face squeezed up against the back, and his legs planted on the table.

Now, Mrs. Quilp," he said, "I feel in a smoking humour, and shall probably blaze away all night; but sit where you are, if you please, in case I want you."

His wife returned no other reply than the customary "Yes, Quilp," and the same lord of the creation took his first cigar, and mixed his first glass of grog. The sun went down and the stars peeped out, the Tower turned from its own proper colour to gray and from gray to black, the room became perfectly dark, and the end of the cigar a deep fiery red; but still Mr. Quilp went on smoking and drinking in the same position, and staring listlessly out of the window, with the dog-like smile always on his face, save when Mrs. Quilp made some involuntary movement of restlessness of fatigue, and then it expanded into a grin of delight.

MR. WELLER'S WATCH.

It seems that the house-keeper and the two Mr. Wellers were no sooner left together on the occasion of their first becoming acquainted, than the house-keeper called to her assistance Mr. Slithers the barber, who had been lurking in the kitchen in expectation of her summons; and with many smiles and much sweetness introduced him as one who would assist her in the responsible office of entertaining her distinguished visiters.

"Indeed," said she, "without Mr. Slithers, I should have been placed in quite an awkward situation." "There is no call for any hock'erdness, mum," said "no call wotMr. Weller with the utmost politeness; sumever. A lady," added the old gentleman, looking about him with the air of one who establishes an incontrovertible position, "a lady can't be hock'erd. Natur has otherwise purwided."

The house-keeper inclined her head and smiled yet more sweetly. The barber, who had been fluttering about Mr. Weller and Sam in a state of great anxiety to improve their acquaintance, rubbed his hands and cried, Hear! hear! Very true, sir;" whereupon Sam turned

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