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At length Tools started up and pulled out his gold watch. "Whew! wh-e-w! This won't do for me," he said. "I have a case to argue this afternoon, and a writ to make out for the sheriff. Is there any more business, gentlemen?"

"No, not exactly," said the Squire. "We must have a fight, I suppose, next town-meeting day."

"Well, we shall whip their eye-teeth out of them, Bacon and Stoddard to boot," said Savage.

"I don't know how it will be," said Tools. "We must lay our heads together, and pull all one way: they are moving heaven and earth to carry it."

"They can't do it," said Savage.

"They will try," he replied.

"Oh! they are clearly in a minority," said the Squire.

"It won't do to be idle and too confident," said the lawyer.

"No," said Savage; "watch them like dogs. They'll steal a march on us if possible; then look out for heavy taxes!"

"Hang the taxes!" exclaimed Tools, and left the office.

Now Lawyer Tools really knew that he was on the wrong side, but his self-interest kept him with his party; and he was, as Savage represented it, a good specimen man of a "------------?" NORTHERN DOUGHFACE; the Squire was another!

CHAPTER XLI.
MISS FLUSH pays a visit to the Poor-House. She forms a high estimate of the personal charms and character of Miss Margaret Davis, and appears in what may be called a new character herself. So thinks at least Lawyer Tools, whose professional business leads him closely to scrutinize individual members of society in what changes soever they may appear.

When James, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Rodman and Alice, made an early visit to the poor at Siddleton's, he was not a little surprised to find there, engaged in an earnest conversation with Mrs. Siddleton, his late controversialist, Miss Emeline Flush. He was no less pleased than surprised, for he believed that a half hour's visit among the wretched people would be more "convincing to her mind" than a fortnight of argument.

Miss Flush, however, colored a little at the unexpected meeting, for she had promised to make the visit with him. However, that was soon excused, and Miss Flush said she had gathered a great many very interesting facts in relation to the paupers, from her "obliging friend, Mrs. Siddleton." "We have not yet visited any of their wards, but were on the point of doing so when you arrived," said she.

"Yery good; if Mrs. Siddleton has no objection, we will all go with you," said he.

"You all know how it is, good friends," said she; "we have them in close quarters, but it can't be avoided. We do not know how to make new apartments, and they are really uncomfortably packed. And then, as you know is always the case, several of them are more or less unwell, which adds to the difficulty of giving them all proper accommodations."

So saying, she led their way up the narrow stairs and introduced them to the quarters of her charge.

Our friends were by no means strangers here, all, with the exception of Miss Flush, having several times before made the place a visit. But, when Miss Flush entered the rooms, the insufferably close air was very offensive to her; notwithstanding the outside door was swung wide open, she seized Mrs. Siddleton's arm for support: the whole company were much oppressed by it.

There was an immediate sensation among the group of paupers at the coming of so many visitors, a sensation of a pleasurable kind as soon as they discovered who they were. Mr. and Mrs. Rodman and Alice were well known to them now, and so was James, of course; and they gathered round them, or raised themselves up from every possible lounging position, and reached out their scrawny hands to welcome them; although some were bashful and afraid, and so eyed them through the creaks of the doors; and others were ashamed, and pulled together more closely round them their tattered raiment; and with feminine habit, Mag and others of the females with both hands smoothed down their frizzled and fugitive locks of hairs, or gave a new twist to soiled night-cap or head-dress, of what material or cut soever it might chance of. Some of them clustered in groups, looked over each other's shoulders and kept aloof, while there were others who walked right forward, easily and with great self-composure or confidence, and began a lively conversation.

Such, of course, were Mag Davis, widow Prescott. now very old, aunt Wakeup, Mrs. Upham, Sam White, and Tucker.

"Well, I'm dreadful glad to see you all," said Mag Davis, with one of her long, skinny laughs, that was meant to prove the welcome her words expressed, but was to virtue and youth a terrible expression of withered innocence and expiation of the past. "Yes, come in," said she, "come and sit down, if you will. We are always glad to see you, let what will happen. Josh is very sick, sir, you've come just in time to give his poor soul a little light, hasn't he, Mrs. Siddleton?"

"Doubtless Mr. Hicks will be very glad to see him," she replied.

"Yes, he will, and so will sister Peters and widow Prescott; 'we're all poor crittures,' sir, and need the Gospel, so Dan himself says," continued she.