fifty-pound notes for the
two horses. As we were about to take leave of each other, he suddenly
produced another fifty-pound note, inquiring whether I could change it,
complaining, at the same time, of the difficulty of procuring change in
the fair. As I happened to have plenty of small money in my possession,
and as I felt obliged to him for having purchased my horses at what I
considered to be a good price, I informed him that I should be very happy
to accommodate him; so I changed him the note, and he, having taken
possession of the horses, went his way, and I myself returned home.

"A month passed; during this time I paid away two of the notes which I
had received at Horncastle from the dealer--one of them in my immediate
neighbourhood, and the other at a town about fifteen miles distant, to
which I had repaired for the purpose of purchasing some furniture. All
things seemed to be going on most prosperously, and I felt quite happy,
when one morning, as I was overlooking some workmen who were employed
about my house, I was accosted by a constable, who informed me that he
was sent to request my immediate appearance before a neighbouring bench
of magistrates. Concluding that I was merely summoned on some
unimportant business connected with the neighbourhood, I felt no
surprise, and forthwith departed in company with the officer. The
demeanour of the man upon the way struck me as somewhat singular. I had
frequently spoken to him before, and had always found him civil and
respectful, but he was now reserved and sullen, and replied to two or
three questions which I put to him in anything but a courteous manner. On
arriving at the place where the magistrates were sitting--an inn at a
small town about two miles distant--I found a more than usual number of
people assembled, who appeared to be conversing with considerable
eagerness. At sight of me they became silent, but crowded after me as I
followed the man into the magistrates' room. There I found the tradesman
to whom I had paid the note for the furniture, at the town fifteen miles
off, in attendance, accompanied by an agent of the Bank of England; the
former, it seems, had paid the note into a provincial bank, the
proprietors of which, discovering it to be a forgery, had forthwith
written up to the Bank of England, who had sent down their agent to
investigate the matter. A third individual stood beside them--the person
in my own immediate neighbourhood to whom I