
a rascal, should occasion any wonderment or surprise, that he was so habituated
to having her near him in a man's capacity, that he had gradually accustomed
himself to talk to her as though she were really a man. And this feeling was so
perfectly reciprocal, that not only did Mr. Brass often call Miss Brass a
rascal, or even put an adjective before the rascal, but Miss Brass looked upon
it as quite a matter of course, and was as little moved as any other lady would
be by being called an angel.
    »What do you taunt me, after three hours' talk last night, with going to
keep a clerk for?« repeated Mr. Brass, grinning again with the pen in his mouth,
like some nobleman's or gentleman's crest. »Is it my fault?«
    »All I know is,« said Miss Sally, smiling drily, for she delighted in
nothing so much as irritating her brother, »that if every one of your clients is
to force us to keep a clerk, whether we want to or not, you had better leave off
business, strike yourself off the roll, and get taken in execution as soon as
you can.«
    »Have we got any other client like him?« said Brass. »Have we got another
client like him now - will you answer me that?«
    »Do you mean in the face!« said his sister.
    »Do I mean in the face!« sneered Sampson Brass, reaching over to take up the
bill-book, and fluttering its leaves rapidly. »Look here - Daniel Quilp, Esquire
- Daniel Quilp, Esquire - Daniel Quilp, Esquire - all through. Whether should I
take a clerk that he recommends, and says, this is the man for you, or lose all
this, eh?«
    Miss Sally deigned to make no reply, but smiled again, and went on with her
work.
    »But I know what it is,« resumed Brass after a short silence. »You're afraid
you won't have as long a finger in the business as you've been used to have. Do
you think I don't see through that?«
    »The business wouldn't go on very long, I expect, without me,« returned his
sister composedly. »Don't you be a fool and provoke me, Sammy, but mind what
you're doing, and do it.«
    Sampson Brass, who was at heart in great fear of his sister, sulkily bent
over
