Pretty well, sir,' replied Dick.

That's well,' said Brass. 'Ha ha! We should be as gay as larks, Mr

Richard - why not? It's a pleasant world we live in sir, a very pleasant

world. There are bad people in it, Mr Richard, but if there were no bad

people, there would be no good lawyers. Ha ha! Any letters by the post

this morning, Mr Richard?'

Mr Swiveller answered in the negative.

Ha!' said Brass, 'no matter. If there's little business to-day, there'll be

more to-morrow. A contented spirit, Mr Richard, is the sweetness of

existence. Anybody been here, sir?'

'Only my friend' - replied Dick. '‘May we ne'er want a - '

Friend,' Brass chimed in quickly, 'or a bottle to give him.' Ha ha!

That's the way the song runs, isn't it? A very good song, Mr Richard,

very good. I like the sentiment of it. Ha ha! Your friend's the young

man from Witherden's office I think - yes - May we ne'er want a -

Nobody else at all, been, Mr Richard?'

Only somebody to the lodger,' replied Mr Swiveller.

Oh indeed!' cried Brass. 'Somebody to the lodger eh? Ha ha! May we

ne'er want a friend, or a - Somebody to the lodger, eh, Mr Richard?'

Yes,' said Dick, a little disconcerted by the excessive buoyancy of

spirits which his employer displayed. 'With him now.'

'With him now!' cried Brass; 'Ha ha! There let 'em be, merry and free,

toor rul rol le. Eh, Mr Richard? Ha ha!'

Oh certainly,' replied Dick. 'And who,' said Brass, shuffling among his

papers, 'who is the lodger's visitor - not a lady visitor, I hope, eh, Mr

Richard? The morals of the Marks you know, sir - ’when lovely women

stoops to folly’ - and all that - eh, Mr Richard?'

'Another young man, who belongs to Witherden's too, or half belongs

there,' returned Richard. 'Kit, they call him.'

Kit, eh!' said Brass. 'Strange name - name of a dancing- master's

fiddle, eh, Mr Richard? Ha ha! Kit's there, is he? Oh!'

Dick looked at Miss Sally, wondering that she didn't check this

uncommon exuberance on the part of Mr Sampson; but as she made

no attempt to do so, and rather appeared to exhibit a tacit

The Old Curiosity Shop