the back, as hearty as posbill.
He seemed a merry, careless, honest cretur, whom one would trust with
life and soul. So thought Dawkins, at least; who, though a quiet young
man, fond of his boox, novvles, Byron's poems, foot-playing, and such
like scientafic amusemints, grew hand in glove with honest Dick Blewitt,
and soon after with my master, the Honrabble Halgernon. Poor Daw! he
thought he was makin good connexions and real frends--he had fallen in
with a couple of the most etrocious swinlers that ever lived.

Before Mr. Dawkins's arrivial in our house, Mr. Deuceace had barely
condysended to speak to Mr. Blewitt; it was only about a month after
that suckumstance that my master, all of a sudding, grew very friendly
with him. The reason was pretty clear,--Deuceace WANTED HIM. Dawkins had
not been an hour in master's company before he knew that he had a pidgin
to pluck.

Blewitt knew this too: and bein very fond of pidgin, intended to
keep this one entirely to himself. It was amusin to see the Honrabble
Halgernon manuvring to get this poor bird out of Blewitt's clause, who
thought he had it safe. In fact, he'd brought Dawkins to these chambers
for that very porpos, thinking to have him under his eye, and strip him
at leisure.

My master very soon found out what was Mr. Blewitt's game. Gamblers
know gamblers, if not by instink, at least by reputation; and though Mr.
Blewitt moved in a much lower speare than Mr. Deuceace, they knew each
other's dealins and caracters puffickly well.

"Charles you scoundrel," says Deuceace to me one day (he always spoak in
that kind way), "who is this person that has taken the opsit chambers,
and plays the flute so industrusly?"

"It's Mr. Dawkins, a rich young gentleman from Oxford, and a great
friend of Mr. Blewittses, sir," says I; "they seem to live in each
other's rooms."

Master said nothink, but he GRIN'D--my eye, how he did grin. Not the
fowl find himself could snear more satannickly.

I knew what he meant:

Imprimish. A man who plays the floot is a simpleton.

Secknly. Mr. Blewitt is a raskle.

Thirdmo. When a raskle and a simpleton is always together, and when the
simpleton is RICH, one knows pretty well what will come of it.

I was but a lad in them days, but I knew what was what, as well as my
master; it's not gentlemen only that's up to snough. Law bless us! there
was four of us on this stairkes, four as nice young men as you ever see:
Mr. Bruffy's young man, Mr.