ring than that which I perused.
Nature seemed to have lavished all her blessings upon Biggleswade,
Puddockfield, and the country thereunto adjacent; in short, I never
recollect so flattering a picture, with one solitary exception drawn by my
friend Frizzle, who had stuck twenty pounds into some railway in a mineral
district. "When we recollect," said Bob in a burst of poetical frenzy,
"the enormous population of the district, the softness and geniality of
the climate, and the fairy aspect of its scenery--when we think of the
varied traffic which now chokes up the ordinary avenues of industry--when
we estimate the inexhaustible beds of ore and minerals, absolutely
heaving themselves from the ground, as though to entreat the aid of man in
adapting them to their proper destination;--when we consider all these
things, I say, and finally combine them together, fancy closes her
astonished eyes, and even imagination swoons!" I will not say that the
writer of the Biggleswade prospectus was as soaring a genius as Bob; but
he was quite enough of a Claude to seduce the investing public. I forget
what amount of return he promised, but it was something hitherto unheard
of, and my mouth watered as I read.

"That's the spec!" said my uncle Dodger. "Sit down and write me an order
for your thousand."

"Eh, uncle--for the whole?" said I somewhat aghast.

"Every sixpence. There--that will do," and Mr Dodger disappeared with the
cheque.

To say the truth, I was not quite pleased with this proceeding; for
although I had confidence in my uncle's sagacity, it was decidedly a
serious thing to hazard one's whole patrimony on a speculation which
might, so far as I knew, be as visionary as the Aerial Machine. However,
my constitutional carelessness very speedily relieved me of all anxiety. I
went out to balls and steeple-chases as formerly, attended the House _pro
forma_ in the mornings, and messed three times a-week with the cavalry at
Piershill. The pace, indeed, was rather rapid, but then I had a strong
constitution.

For three or four weeks I saw little of my respected uncle. He had--heaven
knows how--got himself affiliated to one of the clubs, and sat half the
day in the reading-room, poring over the Railway Journals and the
Money-market article in the Times. He played whist of an evening on a
system peculiar to himself, and levied a very fair contribution from the
pockets of certain country gentlemen, who piqued themselves on
understa