Just beneath the words, “messuages, tenements, water courses, and all that doth thereunto pertain,” Verty had made a charming sketch of a wild-fowl, with expanded wings, falling from the empyrean, with an arrow through his breast.

For some moments, the drawing afforded Verty much gratification:  it finally, however, lost its interest, and the boy leaned his head upon his hand, and gazed through the window upon the waving trees which overshadowed the rear of the building.

Then his eyes slowly drooped—­the dusky lashes moved tremulously—­the head declined—­and in five minutes Verty was asleep, resting his forehead on his folded arms.

The office was disturbed, for the next quarter of an hour, by no sound but the rapid scratching of Mr. Roundjacket’s pen, which glided over the paper at a tremendous rate, and did terrible execution among plaintiffs, executors, administrators, and assigns.

At the end of that time, Mr. Roundjacket raised his head, uttered a prolonged whistle, and, wiping his pen upon the sleeve of his old office coat, which bore a striking resemblance to the gaberdine of a beggar, addressed himself to speech—­

“Now, that was not wanted till to-morrow evening,” he observed, confidentially, to the pigeon-holes; “but, to-morrow evening, I may be paying my addresses to some angelic lady, or be engaged upon my epic.  I have done well; it is true philosophy to ’make assurance doubly sure, and to take a bond of fate.’  Now for a revisal of that last stanza; and, I think, I’ll read it aloud to that young cub, as Rushton calls him.  No doubt his forest character, primitive and poetical, will cause him to appreciate its beauties.  Hallo!”

Verty replied by a snore.

“What, asleep!” cried Mr. Roundjacket.  “Now, you young sluggard! do you mean to say that the atmosphere of this mansion, this temple of Chancery, is not enlivening, sprightly, and anti-slumbrous?  Ho, there! do you presume to fall asleep over that beautiful and entertaining conveyance, you young savage!  Wake up!”

And Mr. Roundjacket hurled his ruler at Verty’s desk, with the accuracy of an experienced hand.  The ruler came down with a crash, and aroused the sleeper.  Longears also started erect, looked around, and then laid down again.

“Ah!” murmured Verty, who woke like a bird upon the boughs, “what was that, ma mere?”

“There’s his outlandish lingo—­Delaware or Shawnee, I have no doubt!” said Mr. Roundjacket.

Verty rose erect.

“Was I asleep? he said, smiling.

“I think you were.”

“This place makes me go to sleep,” said the boy.  “How dull it is!”

“Dull! do you call this office dull?  No, sir, as long as I am here this place is sprightly and even poetical.”

“Anan?” said Verty.

“Which means, in Iroquois or some barbarous language, that you don’t understand,” replied Mr. Roundjacket.  “Listen, then, young man, I mean that the divine spirit of poesy dwells here—­that nothing, therefore, is dull or wearisome about this mansion—­that all is lively and inspiring.  Trust me, my dear young friend, it was copying that miserable deed which put you to sleep, and I can easily understand how that happened.  The said indenture was written by the within.”