an attack them.
It's all fair. And I dare say they deserve it: for I'm not the man to
think any of them saints. But let's hear it all in the old English way;
all fair and above board: no foul play: no stabbing of unarmed men: set
Junius upon them--set Cato upon them--set Publicola upon them in the
newspapers. But no slipping into men's friendly meetings! no cutting
throats by the fire-side! No Venice conspirators in England."

"Friendly meetings! and fire-sides!" said Dulberry; "why, God bless me,
how you varnish the matter! To hear _you_ talk,--one would suppose
these ministers of ours were so many lambs, and met for nothing but to
kiss and sing psalms. I tell you, they never meet but to plot against
us and our liberties. And as to conspirators, if you come to _that_, I
know of none except at Lord Harrowby's. _You_ say there was a
conspiracy of Cato-street against Grosvenor-square: _I_ say--No: there
was a conspiracy of Grosvenor-square against Cato-street."

This view of the case seemed so new and original to the company, that
a general laugh followed; and the reformer, finding that he was no
longer accompanied by the sympathy of his audience, sate down in
dudgeon--muttering something about "lacqueys of Lord Londonderry." The
politician being silenced, an opening was now allowed for a subject far
more interesting to the majority of those who were present, and to many
more in this part of Wales.

"And so Nicholas is taken at last?" said Mr. Bloodingstone a butcher:
"Well, now that's what I could never have thought--that Nicholas should
let himself be taken as quietly as a lamb. Bless your hearts, on all
this coast there's not a creek or a cranny big enough for a field-mouse
but he knew it: and all the way from Barmouth to Carnarvon I'll be
sworn there's not a man on the Preventive Service, simple or gentle,
but Nicholas has had his neck under his foot at one time or another."

"Aye, Mr. Bloodinsgtone," replied the landlord: "but a Bow-street
officer with his staff is like Joshua the son of Nun; he can make the
sun and moon stand still. So _that's_ not the thing I wonder at. What
surprizes me is--that a man like Nicholas should ever meddle with these
politics and politicians, that get nothing for their pains but bloody
heads and a trifle of fame that would never pay for one glass of good
whiskey punch. What! Nicholas was a man of sense; and a d---d long head
he had of his own. And, if he would but have been quiet and