What!' shrieked Kit. 'Does he deny that he did? ask him, somebody,

pray. Ask him to tell you whether he did or not!'

Did you, sir?' asked the notary.

I tell you what, gentlemen,' replied Brass, in a very grave manner,

he'll not serve his case this way, and really, if you feel any interest in

him, you had better advise him to go upon some other tack. Did I, sir?

Of course I never did.'

'Gentlemen,' cried Kit, on whom a light broke suddenly, 'Master, Mr

Abel, Mr Witherden, every one of you - he did it! What I have done to

offend him, I don't know, but this is a plot to ruin me. Mind,

gentlemen, it's a plot, and whatever comes of it, I will say with my

dying breath that he put that note in my hat himself! Look at him,

gentlemen! see how he changes colour. Which of us looks the guilty

person - he, or I?'

'You hear him, gentlemen?' said Brass, smiling, 'you hear him. Now,

does this case strike you as assuming rather a black complexion, or

does it not? Is it at all a treacherous case, do you think, or is it one of

mere ordinary guilt? Perhaps, gentlemen, if he had not said this in

your presence and I had reported it, you'd have held this to be

impossible likewise, eh?'

With such pacific and bantering remarks did Mr Brass refute the foul

aspersion on his character; but the virtuous Sarah, moved by stronger

feelings, and having at heart, perhaps, a more jealous regard for the

honour of her family, flew from her brother's side, without any

previous intimation of her design, and darted at the prisoner with the

utmost fury. It would undoubtedly have gone hard with Kit's face, but

that the wary constable, foreseeing her design, drew him aside at the

critical moment, and thus placed Mr Chuckster in circumstances of

some jeopardy; for that gentleman happening to be next the object of

Miss Brass's wrath; and rage being, like love and fortune, blind; was

pounced upon by the fair enslaver, and had a false collar plucked up

by the roots, and his hair very much dishevelled, before the exertions

of the company could make her sensible of her mistake.

The constable, taking warning by this desperate attack, and thinking

perhaps that it would be more satisfactory to the ends of justice if the

prisoner were taken before a magistrate, whole, rather than in small

pieces, led him back to the hackney-coach without more ado, and

moreover insisted on Miss Brass becoming an outside passenger; to

which proposal the charming creature, after a little angry discussion,

yielded her consent; and so took her brother Sampson's place upon

the box: Mr Brass with some reluctance agreeing to occupy her seat

inside. These arrangements perfected, they drove to the justice-room

The Old Curiosity Shop