“ Mr. Fledgeby,” returned Lammle, “say no more.”

“I must have gone too far in making myself disagreeable,” said Fledgeby, “but I never intended it.”

“Say no more, say no more!” Mr. Lammle repeated in a magnificent tone. “Give me your”⁠—Fledgeby started⁠—“hand.”

They shook hands, and on Mr. Lammle’s part, in particular, there ensued great geniality. For, he was quite as much of a dastard as the other, and had been in equal danger of falling into the second place for good, when he took heart just in time, to act upon the information conveyed to him by Fledgeby’s eye.