ed them again.
Having thus wheedled those who had committed a robbery into a compliance
with his measures, his next business was to divide the goods into
several parcels, and cause them to be sent to different places, always
avoiding taking them into his own hands.

Things being in this position, Jonathan, or Mrs. Milliner went to the
persons who were robbed, and after condoling the misfortune, observed
that they had an acquaintance with a broker to whom certain goods were
brought, some of which they suspected to be stolen, and hearing that the
person to whom they thus applied had been robbed they said they thought
it the duty of one honest body to another to inform them thereof, and to
enquire what goods they were they lost, in order to discover whether
those they spoke of were the same or no. People who had such losses are
always ready, after the first fit of passion is over, to hearken to
anything that has a tendency towards recovering their goods. Jonathan or
his mistress therefore, who could either of them play the hypocrite
nicely, had no great difficulty in making people listen to such terms;
in a day or two, therefore, they were sure to come again with
intelligence that having called upon their friend and looked over the
goods, they had found part of the goods there; and provided nobody was
brought into trouble, and the broker had something in consideration of
his care, they might be had again. He generally told the people, when
they came on this errand, that he had heard of another parcel at such a
place, and that if they would stay a little, he would go and see
whether they were such as they described theirs to be which they had
lost.

This practice of Jonathan's, if well considered, carries in it a great
deal of policy; for first it seemed to be an honest and good-natured act
to prevail on evil persons to restore the goods which they had stole;
and it must be acknowledged to be a great benefit to those who were
robbed thus to have their goods again upon a reasonable premium,
Jonathan or his mistress all the while taking apparently nothing, their
advantages arising from what they took out of the gratuity left with the
broker, and out of what they had bargained with the thief to be allowed
of the money which they had procured him. Such people finding this
advantage in it, the rewards were very near as large as the price now
given by receivers (since receiving became too dangerous), and they
reaped a certain s