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of the skylight, to read the names on a whole army of doors. Making nearly the whole circuit of the long hall, she arrived finally at a door which seemed to meet with her approval, for she nodded her head, knocked, and walked briskly in.

"What a horrid-looking man!" she said, as she threw herself upon a well-worn lounge, and breathed heavily.

"What an ugly old vixen!" replied the gentleman thus apostrophised, looking up from the desk at which he sat writing.

"Hem!" rejoined Miss Sophia, eyeing him wickedly, and still labouring for her breath, after her unwonted exertion.

"Well, madam?”

"How dare you, sir-but this is Mr. Beanson, no doubt?"

"Yes, madam."

"I called, sir," pronounced Miss Garr, in an angry tone, "to have you explain to me explicitly, and without reservation, what constitutes a breach of promise."

Now two different persons had been harassing Mr. Beanson that very morning with unpaid bills. Yet it was a characteristic of this remarkable man that all his greatest troubles were in the future-that undiscovered country of his first brief, and the presidency. He was possessed of a wonderful talent at apprehending evil; and he had not heard Miss Sophia this long without exerting it. He thought instantly of the snares laid for unsuspecting young men by designing females, and did not grow calmer as his visitor repeated—

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Come, sir; you profess to be a lawyer, if you are not. you tell me, sir ? "

M-madam, I don't know you!" exclaimed Mr. Beanson, feeling very much confused, but looking, as he always did, very aggressive.

“I found your card in my card-case, and I want to know, sir, what constitutes a breach of promise."

“Madam, I tell you I don't know you at all!”

"But did you not leave your card in my card-case at Mrs. Clayton's?"

"I did, madam, but that does not constitute a breach of promise; and I warn you now," said Mr. Beanson, raising his voice and his forefinger, and shaking both at her simultaneously, "I warn you now, madam, that you cannot ground an action for breach of promise on a little skilful advertising!"

"What do you mean, sir?”

Mr. Beanson observed a sudden and marked change coming over the features of his visitor, and took it for the herald of her discomfiture and his own triumph.

"I mean,

"What do I mean?" iterated Mr. Beanson. madam, that in this latter stage of juridical enlightenment a man cannot be held for breach of promise, or prosecuted for breach of promise, by a woman whom he never saw before in his life-and, for that matter, never wishes to see again -just because he put his business card in her card-case.” Here the speaker, seeing the remarkable effect of his philippic, launched himself upon his feet, the better to enjoy the ovation he was preparing for himself. As he undoubled his exceeding length before Sophia, he had the satisfaction of seeing the additional effect he was producing, even apart from his oratory. It was the very yellow jaundice of tones in which Mr. Beanson concluded—

"No, madam, you would not get any intelligent court in the land, in these premises, to find cause of action. It was nothing but a skilful advertisement-in short, an act of commercial and legal genius. You, I suppose, would make it a crime punishable by marriage with such as you. The thing is simply ridiculous! Madam, I have done. Have you?"

Mr. Beanson resumed his seat triumphantly, and eyed the astonished Garr with an expression that made his head look older than common.

Miss Sophia could not have interrupted the foregoing forensic display if she had tried. In her bewilderment she was mutely deciding whether she, Sophia Garr, or all the men were going stark mad. George Lang had offered himself to Amelia, after being accepted by herself. Then this impudent red-headed wretch-whom she had never attempted to marry-either he or she was certainly crazy. The question was too complicated for a prompt decision.

The two had sat for some moments, glaring at each other, in profound silence, when Miss Garr suddenly exclaimed, "You long-waisted vagabond, shut up!"

This might have been effectual in a contest with a person of her own sex; since it might have shocked into silence or proved an Ultima Thule of feminine virulence. When, however, Mr. Beanson, having taken some time to consider, remembered that he was not talking at all when he was requested to "shut up," the thing struck him as laughable. Accordingly Mr. Beanson laughed-laughed loud and long, till Mr. Beanson had laughed out all the fun there was in the occurrence, and some of his own anger to boot.

'Now, madam," said he facetiously, "I am prepared to part with you."

Miss Garr was more angry than ever.

"I say, madam, I am prepared to part with you. I will not detain you further."

"You ugly, hateful, impudent wretch!" remarked Sophia, finding speech at last. "You may insult me here as much as you please, since I am without a protector; but you shall not drive me away till you have answered my question. I would as soon marry a keg of nails as you, sir; so you may set your mind at rest! It is somebody else that my outraged feelings are interested in-somebody else of more

consequence than you, though I verily believe he is as big a villain

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"Oh!" exclaimed Mr. Beanson, as any other drowning man might have done before he was swallowed up by any other flood.

"Do you suppose, sir, I would walk all the way here from Folsome Street, and up these interminable stairs, and then go away, without knowing what constitutes a breach of promise? I would have you know, sir, that my case is urgent."

"Then you did not intend to prosecute me at all?” asked Mr. Beanson, opening his eyes very wide.

"Have I not told you once? Would I prosecute a keg of nails, you ninny?"

As strange as it may seem, a bland smile, which spread over the entire face of Mr. Beanson, was the result of this last poisoned arrow of Miss Garr. The ignis fatuus of his first brief was again rising over the marshes of his present embarrassments. "Well, well, madam," rejoined Mr. Beanson, "I will do anything in the world to serve you. Who is it, by the way, that you wish to prosecute?"

"I don't know as that is any of your business at present, sir; I first want an answer to the question I have asked about forty times: What constitutes a breach of promise?"

"To tell the truth, madam, there are so many conditions to a breach of promise that an abstract definition of it would not do the least good in the world; and I could not give one without consulting my books-but do you absolutely insist on mentioning no names?"

"I do, sir."

"Will you state the case, then, without names?"

"You must see, sir, that my natural delicacy revolts against any revelations to strangers."

"Why, madam, counsellor and client should never be strangers. Besides, you must be aware that a breach of

promise depends on so many things. As I have said before, there are so many conditions that we cannot proceed at all unless you answer certain questions; such as, for instance, whether you-I mean the lady, the plaintiff, in fact has any proof of a promise, express or implied."

Miss Garr looked about the room in silent uncertainty. "Have you I mean, has the lady-for example, any witnesses-any one who has heard the defendant that is to be," pursued Mr. Beanson, in the language of the future, express or imply a promise?"

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She could not say that the lady had.

"Had she any letters to show which contained a promise either expressed or implied?"

"The lady," responded Miss Garr mysteriously; "the lady has not."

"Has the plaintiff been injured in any way by the defendant?"

"Yes, grossly."

“Ah, then, I begin to see a case. Set the damages heavy-set the damages heavy. By-the-bye, is the defendant rich ?"

"Yes."

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Good," said Mr. Beanson, rubbing his hands. "We will make the villain suffer."

"Thank you, Mr. Beanson. Fifty thousand dollars will be little enough. Thank you, Mr. Beanson." And Miss Garr actually shook hands with Mr. Beanson on the spot.

"Hem, ah! what was-the-nature of these injuries -that you say the defendant had inflicted upon you—the lady, I should say, the plaintiff?"

Miss Garr feigned an uneasy look.

"Must I tell?" she demanded, dropping her eyes.

"I am sorry, madam, it is absolutely necessary, since the whole case seems to hang upon that injury, or those injuries alone."

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