 devoted herself with uncommon ardour to the
study of the law; not wasting her speculations upon its eagle flights, which are
rare, but tracing it attentively through all the slippery and eel-like crawlings
in which it commonly pursues its way. Nor had she, like many persons of great
intellect, confined herself to theory, or stopped short where practical
usefulness begins; inasmuch as she could engross, fair-copy, fill up printed
forms with perfect accuracy, and, in short, transact any ordinary duty of the
office down to pouncing a skin of parchment or mending a pen. It is difficult to
understand how, possessed of these combined attractions, she should remain Miss
Brass; but whether she had steeled her heart against mankind, or whether those
who might have wooed and won her, were deterred by fears that, being learned in
the law, she might have too near her fingers' ends those particular statutes
which regulate what are familiarly termed actions for breach, certain it is that
she was still in a state of celibacy, and still in daily occupation of her old
stool opposite to that of her brother Sampson. And equally certain it is, by the
way, that between these two stools a great many people had come to the ground.
    One morning Mr. Sampson Brass sat upon his stool copying some legal process,
and viciously digging his pen deep into the paper, as if he were writing upon
the very heart of the party against whom it was directed; and Miss Sally Brass
sat upon her stool making a new pen preparatory to drawing out a little bill,
which was her favourite occupation; and so they sat in silence for a long time,
until Miss Brass broke silence.
    »Have you nearly done, Sammy?« said Miss Brass; for in her mild and feminine
lips, Sampson became Sammy, and all things were softened down.
    »No,« returned her brother. »It would have been all done though, if you had
helped at the right time.«
    »Oh yes, indeed,« cried Miss Sally; »you want my help, don't you? - you,
too, that are going to keep a clerk!«
    »Am I going to keep a clerk for my own pleasure, or because of my own wish,
you provoking rascal!« said Mr. Brass, putting his pen in his mouth, and
grinning spitefully at his sister. »What do you taunt me about going to keep a
clerk for?«
    It may be observed in this place, lest the fact of Mr. Brass calling a lady,
