once more summoning up a meditative expression of countenance, continued as follows : —
"Therefore, my boy, as I do not see the adwisability o' stoppin' here to be married vether I vant to or not, and as at the same time I do not vish to separate myself from them interestin' members o* society alto- gether, I have come to the determination o' drivin' the Safety, and puttin' up vunce more at the Bell Savage, vich is my nat'ral-born element, Sammy.*'
" And wot's to become o' the bis'ness ?" enquired Sam.
" The bis'ness, Samivel," replied the old gentleman, " good-vill, stock, and fixters, vill be sold by private con-tact ; and out o' the money, two hundred pound, agreeable to a rekvest o' your mother-in- law's to me, a little afore she died, vill be inwested in your name in—wot do you call them things again ?
"Wot things?" enquired Sam.
"Them things as is always a goin' up and down in the City."
"Omnibuses?" suggested Sam.
"Nonsense," replied Mr. Weller. "Them things as is alvays a fluc- tooatin', and gettin' theirselves inwolved somehow or another vith the national debt, and the checquers bills, and all that."
"Oh ! the funds," said Sam.
" Ah !" rejoined Mr. Weller, " the funs ; two hundred pound o' the money is to be inwested for you, Samivel, in the funs ; four and a half per cent, reduced counsels, Sammy."
" Wery kind o' the old lady to think o* me," said Sam, " and I'm wery much obliged to her."
"The rest vill be inwested in my name," continued the elder Mr. Weller ; " and ven I'm took off the road, it'll come to you, so take care you don't spend it all at vunst, my boy, and mind that no widder gets a inklin' o' your fortun', or you're done."
Having delivered this warning, Mr. Weller resumed his pipe with a more serene countenance ; the disclosure of these matters appearing to have eased his mind considerably.
"Somebody's a tappin' at the door," said Sam.
"Let 'em tap," replied his father, with dignity.
Sam acted upon the direction : upon which there was another tap, and another, and then a long row of taps ; upon which Sam enquired why the tapper was not admitted.
" Hush," whispered Mr. Weller, with apprehensive looks, "^ don't take no notice on 'em, Sammy, it's vun o' the widders, p'raps."
No notice being taken of the taps, the unseen visitor, after a short lapse, ventured to open the door and peep in. It was no female head that was thrust in at the partially opened door, but the long black locks and red face of Mr. Stiggins. Mr. Weller 's pipe fell from his hands.
The reverend gentleman gradually opened the door by almost im- perceptible degrees, until the aperture was just wide enough to admit of the passage of his lank body, when he glided into the room and closed it after him with great care and gentleness. Turning towards Sam, and raising his hands and eyes in token of the unspeakable sorrow
