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magistrate. He has known me for years. You will, probably, before you leave, do me the favour to apply to him, in order—"

"No," said the doctor, smiling, "that I'm sure I'll not do; but here is my card, and if nothing should appear, in either the evening or the morning papers, I shall be happy to give you a couple of sovereigns."

"Oh! if my honour is doubted, there's an end of the matter! It is not of the slightest importance to me, whether I receive the money of you, or the proprietors of the papers, to which I send the report. I am always, of course, anxious to oblige; but it is to me, as you must perceive, a matter of no moment whatever."

"Now do let me settle this affair?" said the prosecutor.

"No," returned the doctor, "that, indeed, I will not. You promise," he added, addressing the reporter, "that if I give you two sovereigns, not a syllable, having reference to my son, shall appear?"

"Let it all appear," cried Tom; "I dod't care a buttod about it!"

"That," resumed the doctor, heedless of Tom's observation, "that is, of course, understood."

"Of course."

The doctor drew out his purse—gave two sovereigns to the reporter—shook hands with the prosecutor, and gave the word, "home."

"Why, did you give hib that buddy?" cried Tom. "Why didd't you give it to be?"

"I gave it to him," replied the doctor, "because I had no desire to see you ridiculed in the public papers."

"Ridiculed! Well, that's rich! How could I be ridiculed? The bagistrate was the swell, I apprehedd, to be ridiculed. It stikes be, that I bade a hit, whed I asked hib if I was id the court of Bobus!"

"Bobus!" cried the doctor. "Yes, you did make a hit! Do you know what produced all that laughter?"

"Of course. The codsubbate igdoradce of the clerk."

"No, Tom: that laughter was produced by your Bobuses and Cobuses."

"What do you bead by Bobuses add Cobuses? I didd't say Bobus! I said Bobus! Id the produdciatiod Bobus add Bobus, the differedce is ibbedse!"

"I cannot perceive any difference at all."

"What! dot betweed Bobus add Bobus?"

"Bobus is Bobus, and nothing but Bobus."

"Well, but I didd't say Bobus! Bobus is a beastly produdciatiod of Bobus!"

"I wish that I could induce you to think so."

"Well, but do you bead to say that I prodoudce Bobus, Bobus?"

"I do."

"Well, I bust look idto this. I begid to suspect that there bust be sobethidg id it. I dod't, of course, wadt to be bade a laughidg-stock of!"

"But a laughing-stock you ever will be, Tom, until your absurd pronunciation of the m's and the n's be corrected."

Tom became thoughtful; and, as they were then near home, the subject was, for the time being, dropped.