litigious spirit, advising him rather to keep his money in his pocket, and leave the fighting of the battle to the columns of the Banner,—­which would fight it, at any rate, with economy.  But Bunce, though he delighted in the Banner, and showed an unfortunate readiness to sit at the feet of Mr. Quintus Slide, would have his action at law;—­in which resolution Mr. Slide did, I fear, encourage him behind the back of his better friend, Phineas Finn.

Phineas went with Bunce to Mr. Low’s chambers,—­for Mr. Low had in some way become acquainted with the law-stationer’s journeyman,—­and there some very good advice was given.  “Have you asked yourself what is your object, Mr. Bunce?” said Mr. Low.  Mr. Bunce declared he had asked himself that question, and had answered it.  His object was redress.  “In the shape of compensation to yourself,” suggested Mr. Low.  No; Mr. Bunce would not admit that he personally required any compensation.  The redress wanted was punishment to the man.  “Is it for vengeance?” asked Mr. Low.  No; it was not for vengeance, Mr. Bunce declared.  “It ought not to be,” continued Mr. Low; “because, though you think that the man exceeded in his duty, you must feel that he was doing so through no personal ill-will to yourself.”

“What I want is, to have the fellows kept in their proper places,” said Mr. Bunce.

“Exactly;—­and therefore these things, when they occur, are mentioned in the press and in Parliament,—­and the attention of a Secretary of State is called to them.  Thank God, we don’t have very much of that kind of thing in England.”

“Maybe we shall have more if we don’t look to it,” said Bunce stoutly.

“We always are looking to it,” said Mr. Low;—­“looking to it very carefully.  But I don’t think anything is to be done in that way by indictment against a single man, whose conduct has been already approved by the magistrates.  If you want notoriety, Mr. Bunce, and don’t mind what you pay for it; or have got anybody else to pay for it; then indeed—­”

“There ain’t nobody to pay for it,” said Bunce, waxing angry.

“Then I certainly should not pay for it myself if I were you,” said Mr. Low.

But Bunce was not to be counselled out of his intention.  When he was out in the square with Phineas he expressed great anger against Mr. Low.  “He don’t know what patriotism means,” said the law scrivener.  “And then he talks to me about notoriety!  It has always been the same way with ’em.  If a man shows a spark of public feeling, it’s all hambition.  I don’t want no notoriety.  I wants to earn my bread peaceable, and to be let alone when I’m about my own business.  I pays rates for the police to look after rogues, not to haul folks about and lock ’em up for days and nights, who is doing what they has a legal right to do.”  After that, Bunce went to his attorney, to the great detriment of the business at the stationer’s shop, and Phineas visited the office of the People’s