er turning my eye, either to
the right or the left, lest he should endeavour to escape me. There was
no fear of this, for Mr. Jonson was both a bold and a crafty man, and it
required, perhaps, but little of his penetration to discover that I was
no officer nor informer, and that my communication had been of a nature
likely enough to terminate in his advantage; there was, therefore, but
little need of his courage in accompanying me to my hotel.

There were a good many foreigners of rank at Mivart's, and the waiters
took my companion for an ambassador at least:--he received their homage
with the mingled dignity and condescension natural to so great a man.

As the day was now far advanced, I deemed it but hospitable to offer Mr.
Job Jonson some edible refreshment. With the frankness on which he so
justly valued himself, he accepted my proposal. I ordered some cold
meat, and two bottles of wine; and, mindful of old maxims, deferred
my business till his repast was over. I conversed with him merely upon
ordinary topics, and, at another time, should have been much amused
by the singular mixture of impudence and shrewdness which formed the
stratum of his character.

At length his appetite was satisfied, and one of the bottles emptied;
with the other before him, his body easily reclining on my library
chair, his eyes apparently cast downwards, but ever and anon glancing
up at my countenance with a searching and curious look, Mr. Job Jonson
prepared himself for our conference; accordingly I began.

"You say that you are acquainted with Mr. Dawson; where is he at
present?"

"I don't know," answered Jonson, laconically.

"Come," said I, "no trifling--if you do not know, you can learn."

"Possibly I can, in the course of time," rejoined honest Job.

"If you cannot tell me his residence at once," said I, "our conference
is at an end; that is a leading feature in my inquiries."

Jonson paused before he replied--"You have spoken to me frankly, let us
do nothing by halves--tell me, at once, the nature of the service I can
do you, and the amount of my reward, and then you shall have my answer.
With respect to Dawson, I will confess to you, that I did once know him
well, and that we have done many a mad prank together, which I should
not like the bugaboos and bulkies to know; you will, therefore, see that
I am naturally reluctant to tell you any thing about him, unless your
honour will inform me of the why and the wherefore."