time i quite gave up for lost and settled in my own mind that there was no hope for him being very anxious to see the dear old fellow nevertheless i despatched my dinner in a manner not at all calculated to raise in the opinion of the chief waiter and hurried out by the back way number two in the court was soon reached and an inscription ou david the door post informing me that mr occupied a set of chambers on the top story i ascended the staircase a crazy old staircase i found it to be feebly lighted on each landing by a club headed little oil dying away in a little of dirty glass in the course of my stumbling up stairs i fancied i heard a pleasant sound of laughter and not the laughter of an attorney or or attorney s clerk or s clerk but of two or three merry girls happening however as i stopped to listen to put ray foot in a hole where the honorable society of gray s had left a plank deficient i fell down with some noise and when i recovered my footing all was silent groping my way more carefully for the rest of the journey my heart beat high when i found the outer door which had mr painted on it open i knocked a considerable within ensued but else i therefore knocked a small sharp looking lad half and half clerk who was very much out of breath but who looked at me as if he defied me to prove it presented himself is mr within said i yes sir but he s engaged i want to see him after a moment s survey of me the sharp looking lad decided to let me in and opening the door wider for that purpose admitted me first into a little closet of a hall and next into a little where i came into the presence of my old friend also out of breath seated at a table and bending over papers good god cried looking up it s and rushed into my arms where i held him tight all well my dear all well my dear dear and nothing but good news we cried with pleasure both of us my dear fellow said his hair in his excitement which was a most unnecessary operation my dearest my long lost and most welcome friend how i am to see david you how brown you are how glad i am upon my life and honour i never was so rejoiced my beloved never i was equally at a loss to express my emotions i was quite unable to speak at first my dear fellow said and grown so famous my glorious good gracious me when did you come where have you come from what have you been doing never pausing for an answer to anything he said who had clapped me into an easy chair by the fire all this time stirred the fire with one and pulled at my neck with the other under some wild delusion that it was a without putting down the he now me again and i him and both laughing and both wiping our eyes we both sat down and shook hands across the hearth to think said that you should have been so nearly coming home as you must have been my dear old boy and not at the ceremony what ceremony my dear good gracious me cried opening his eyes in his old way � didn t you get my last letter certainly not if it referred to any ceremony why my dear said sticking his hair upright with both hands and then putting his hands on my knees i am married married i cried joyfully lord bless me yes said � by the reverend � to � down in why my dear boy she s behind the window curtain look here to my amazement the dearest girl in the world came at that same instant laughing and blushing from her place of concealment and a more cheerful amiable honest happy bright looking bride i believe as i could not help saying on the spot the world never saw i kissed her as an old acquaintance should and wished them joy with all my might of heart dear me said what a delightful re union this is you are so extremely brown my dear god bless mv how happy i am david and so am i said i and i am sure i am said the blushing and laughing we are all as happy as possible said even the girls are happy dear me declare i forgot them forgot said i the girls said s sisters they are staying with us they have come to have a peep at london the fact is when � was it you that tumbled up stairs it was said i laughing well then when you tumbled up stairs said i was with the girls in point of fact we were playing at in the corner but as that wouldn t do in westminster hall and as it wouldn t look quite professional if they were seen by a they and they are now � listening i have no doubt said glancing at the door of another room i am sorry said i laughing afresh to have occasioned such a upon my word rejoined greatly delighted if you liad seen them running away and running back again after you had knocked to pick up the they had dropped out of their hair and going on in the manner you wouldn t have said so my love will you fetch the girls tripped away and we heard her received in the adjoining room with a peal of laughter really musical isn t it my dear said it s very agreeable to hear it quite lights up these old rooms to an unfortunate bachelor of a fellow 