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regulate what are familiarly termed actions for breach, certain it is
that she was still in a state of celibacy, and still in daily occupation of
her old stool opposite to that of her brother Sampson. And equally
certain it is, by the way, that between these two stools a great many
people had come to the ground. One morning Mr Sampson Brass sat
upon his stool copying some legal process, and viciously digging his
pen deep into the paper, as if he were writing upon the very heart of
the party against whom it was directed; and Miss Sally Brass sat upon
her stool making a new pen preparatory to drawing out a little bill,
which was her favourite occupation; and so they sat in silence for a
long time, until Miss Brass broke silence.
'Have you nearly done, Sammy?' said Miss Brass; for in her mild and
feminine lips, Sampson became Sammy, and all things were softened
down.
'
No,' returned her brother. 'It would have been all done though, if you
had helped at the right time.'
'
Oh yes, indeed,' cried Miss Sally; 'you want my help, don't you? -
YOU, too, that are going to keep a clerk!'
'
Am I going to keep a clerk for my own pleasure, or because of my own
wish, you provoking rascal!' said Mr Brass, putting his pen in his
mouth, and grinning spitefully at his sister. 'What do you taunt me
about going to keep a clerk for?'
It may be observed in this place, lest the fact of Mr Brass calling a
lady a rascal, should occasion any wonderment or surprise, that he
was so habituated to having her near him in a man's capacity, that he
had gradually accustomed himself to talk to her as though she were
really a man. And this feeling was so perfectly reciprocal, that not only
did Mr Brass often call Miss Brass a rascal, or even put an adjective
before the rascal, but Miss Brass looked upon it as quite a matter of
course, and was as little moved as any other lady would be by being
called an angel.
'
What do you taunt me, after three hours' talk last night, with going to
keep a clerk for?' repeated Mr Brass, grinning again with the pen in
his mouth, like some nobleman's or gentleman's crest. Is it my fault?'
'
All I know is,' said Miss Sally, smiling drily, for she delighted in
nothing so much as irritating her brother, 'that if every one of your
clients is to force us to keep a clerk, whether we want to or not, you
had better leave off business, strike yourself off the roll, and get taken
in execution, as soon as you can.'
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