In which we are introduced to the humble and somewhat gloomy office of Mr Sampson Brass and his formidable sister Miss Sally Brass, a resolute dame of the law whose stern presence commands respect and even a measure of awe. Into this curious establishment enters young Mr Richard Swiveller, recommended by the lively and mocking Daniel Quilp, whose whimsical introduction sets the stage for Swiveller’s tentative initiation into legal drudgery under Miss Brass’s unyielding tutelage.