Away I started to subpoena Mr. White; it was still early in the day. This young man was engaged in the counting-house of some merchants in the city; people in large business. I rang the bell, and was answered by one of the clerks. "Is Mr. White within?" "I will inquire, Sir." I waited nearly five minutes; and thinking that so simple a question might have received a more speedy answer, I determined to follow into the counting-house. It was divided by railing into compounds. walked up to the railing of the nearest desk. "Is Mr. White within?"

I

During this parley I kept my eyes about me, and observed that several of the clerks bent their heads over their desks, while two or three were obviously retaining laughter with some difficulty. I affected to be considering what I should do, while in reality I was counting the

clerks, and comparing their number with the hats which I saw hung up against the wall. There was a hat too many, and a vacant desk.

"So ho!" thought I to myself, "the seat is still warm;" for I was an old sportsman, while yet a very young man; "the game can't be very far off," and then without more ceremony, I opened the door of the compound, and seating myself on the vacant stool, said I would leave a note for him. I found the keys in the lock, -an additional proof that my suspicions were correct. Under pretense of looking for some paper, on which to write my note, I opened the desk; found in it, after tumbling over some loose papers, a letter with his address at Walworth; and then, saying that I had changed my mind as to writing, and would call again in the evening, I quitted the house. I lost no time in sending off a messenger express to Dover, with a copy of the subpoena, and a description of his person, while I started myself for Walworth, and arrived just ten minutes after he had left it in a chaise for Dartford! His servant or his wife, whichever it might be, thinking him safely off, honestly confessed that he had absconded to avoid service of the sub

pœna, having long expected it; he was actually in the counting-house, when I had called there: the clerk, who opened the door to me, detected my business by a piece of red tape hanging out of my pocket; and whilst I was catechising the others as to his residence, he had escaped by another door, run home to get another hat and bolted. But I was prepared: I had post-horses waiting for me a hundred yards off; got first to Dartford; subpoenaed him as he drove into the yard; brought him back in the same chaise; and by his evidence, obtained a verdict the next day, but certainly at no slight additional costs, in the shape of traveling expenses!

The casualties of litigation are so numerous and diversified, that it is utterly impossible, unless in the simplest matter, to foretell the expenses. The recent reforms in pleading, by compelling a disclosure of the real defense, have reduced, but not superseded the speculative guesses of the attorney: indeed, in one respect, they have added to the difficulty; because, by success on one issue, and failure on another, a debtor and creditor account of costs is established, the balance of which may, by possibility, be against a plaintiff, though he has been suc

cessful on the general merits. It is a very pleasant thing, no doubt, to have to tell your client, "Oh yes, Sir! we have succeeded for you; but instead of receiving costs, you will have forty or fifty pounds to pay to your opponent." Independently of this, a hundred accidents may occur, all tending to multiply costs. A witness may be ill, and the record must be withdrawn ; a bill for discovery may be advised; an injunction may be obtained by the defendant; a cross action may be brought; indispensable witnesses may have made a trip to Naples or New York, and must be examined on interrogatories; in a word, so many deviations may, and generally do occur, that no prudent solicitor will ever insure his client against the amount of costs, unless in the most general, and therefore the most unsatisfactory way. The right answer is, "If costs are an object, settle your quarrel out of court, as best you may:" and to clients themselves, I may observe, that if an attorney is disposed to be dishonest, no skill can avail them against overcharges; for his charges may be individually reasonable, and even low, but so needlessly frequent, as to make the sum total of his bill

nothing less than fraudulent, though none but a brother-attorney can detect the fraud. It is often the case with mean and illiberal clients, that they submit their attorney's bill to another practitioner, unknown to him. Every solicitor should be prepared for this; for I have known too many instances, where to curry favor with a new acquaintance, or to acquire on easy terms a credit for moderation, an attorney has pronounced severe and mischievous judgment on the costs of his respectable neighbor, though all in the profession would rightly consign the critic himself to the shades of Newgate, as an incorrigible thief.

How my unprofessional readers will stare (if I chance to find any), when I remark that one of the most difficult problems that an attorney has to solve, is to what extent he may properly make any charge at all! Yet I rejoice to say, for it is to the credit of my profession, that with the respectable members of it, this is frequently a preplexing question. It occurs in many ways; the most common is this::—an old and valuable client becomes acquainted with a case of great hardship, and perhaps oppression, involving legal points; he calls on his attorney,