The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-01-07

choly head in at the door and looked round. Now it so happened that Burnet, our senior pupil, had not re- turned since lunch, and was sitting before the fire with Crofts and Soker, discussing in desultory after lunch manner the only case that was in at the time. Looms looked round as if for some one, and said, "Mr. Burnet not in, sir2"
 "No, not come back since lunch. He'll be at the Cock I think, if he's wanted"
 "No, sir, it doesn't matter. You'll do, MT. Penrose. Mir. Halliwell wanted to see him, but you'll do."
 rose and followed Looms to Halli- wells sanctum. Doubtless it was an important case which had just come in, and Halliwell wanted to see Burnet about it. I was rather glad of the opportunity to display my knowl- edge of law, and was proud to have the chance of assisting Halliwell. When came in he was seated by the fire with his wig askew, and his ban danna across his knees. Opposite him was an insignifcant-lo looking young man, dressed in rather a fast, slangy style, thought, who was sucking a gold headed cane, and gazing in an ex- pressionless manner at Halliwell.
 "Ah, Penrose. Sorry it isn't Bur- net"-this latter phrase was his un- complimentary thought-but he ut- tered it aloud. "Where is Burnet?''
 "Not in from lunch yct," replied.
 "Well, MT. Thornton, let me intro- duce you to MT. Penrose. He will show you the pupil room and explain the method f work there. Thou know'st we work by wit and not by witchcraft,' as our gentle Will hath 1 it."
 WAnd wit depends upon dilatory time,' don't it?" continued MT. Thorn ton, casually taking the cane out of his mouth, and finishing the quota tion.
 "Ahl you know your Shakespeare, young man. GOodi Goodl" Then taking a pinch of snuff, and jerking his wrist so as to bespatter his papers with little of it, he added his thought, "None of these young fools in the pupil-room can cap my quo- tations."
 was angry, not the less so because Thornton took SO little trouble to conceal his amusement. However, MT. Halliwell, blindly unconscious of what he had said, turned to me and continued: "Mr. Thornton has only come tor six months, before he goes abroad. He is going to-"
 "Cape Colony" suggested Thorn ton.
 "Ah, yes, the Cape-shouldn't take man for six months if it wasn't for these bad times," he muttered. "You will find MT. Penrose and my other pupils well able to give you help, and whenever you are ever in any diffi- culty, MT. Thornton, please step in and see me-"
 This was the usual parting benedic- tion of MT. Halliwell to his new pu- pills. We had all heard it in our time, but wc- to those that accepted the in- vitation, unless followed by something more specific from Halliwell himself. They were grunted at, insulted, roasted, and tormented, Halliwell often sending in for the whole pupil room, that he might enjoy watching the refined torture of the individual, whose legal follies he would hold up to ridicule before the rest assembled(
 Suppose it's all right" gruIked Haliiwell, looking at MT. Thornt0if's check as we bowed and left the room.
 It was too bad, this taking another pupil, when Halliwell knew there was no work for those who were there. And then to take a pupil for six months-it was a disgracetul breach of the proper custom which was quite unpardonable in this case. However, 1 took him into the pupil room, in- troduced him to Crofts and Soker, and gave him the only papers that were in. Then l settled down to law book by the fire and left him to him. self, for was in no way inclined to be companionable.
 Teddy Crofts, who was rather a sprightly youth, recognizing a kin dred man. about townish air in Thorn ton, thought it his duty to be civil. Thornton had got tired of the papers in five minutes or less, and was gag ing round the dusty room with a con- temptuous air, as though he had never seen the inside of Temple Chambers before, when Crofts opened the con- versation by asking him, (Which Inn are you at?"
 "'Oh, I have house in town," re- piled Thornton.
 "But, l mean, which Inn here, Inner or Middle?"
 "Yes, yes, I see," replied Thornton as if he was somewhat abashed at hay ing misunderstood the question. "'In- ner or middle3' Why, Middle-no- that is, mean Inner"