ered much for enquiry. "Who are
those in the corner in close conversation together?"

"The farthest from us," replied Merrywell, "is a Jew attorney, well
acquainted with all the shuffling arts of the ~50~~ place; one who can
explain the whole game, from raising the wind, down to the White-washing
Act, for the knowledge and experience of gentlemen in these days are
astonishing. You would scarcely believe it, but such is the fact, there
are rakes of quality and of fashion, who are their own farriers,
horse dealers, who know every trick upon the cards and dice--cutting,
shuffling, slipping, cogging, securing; who have cards and dice always
at hand, and ready made to their hand; who, although they are awake to a
good thing, know the odds to a nicety, and can give or take according
as it may best suit their purpose, yet are not properly initiated in all
requisite mysteries, till a sort of finish is given to their education,
by a temporary retirement here; where they learn a sufficiency of the
law to give information on all the quirks and quibbles of the arrest
laws, of bailing, demurring, justifying bail, putting in bail above, of
writs of error, county and Marshalsea writs, of letters of licence, the
laws against usury, the bankrupt laws, and finally of acts of grace;
perhaps the last and only one in their lives bearing that name: but we
must walk on, or we may be overheard."

"Then," said Dashall, "you are by this time pretty well acquainted with
the characters of your companions, and expect to leave the College with
more information than you previously possessed."

"No doubt of it," was the reply; "but as my case was not desperate,
I have not sought desperate remedies. I am at this moment supposed by
certain friends of mine to be in the gay city of Paris, enjoying all
the luxuries of the Thuilleries, the Louvre, the Palais Royal, and the
Elysian Fields; and I doubt not I shall be able to convince an old rich
uncle of mine of the fact. And as my expectations chiefly rest on him,
and he cannot last long, I shall upon liberation make my approaches to
him with a little of the French polish I am preparing while here. This,
however, is selfish conversation."

"Yet perfectly in point," continued Dashall.

"And equally interesting too," said Bob.

"Do you see," said Merrywell, "that young man buttoned up to the chin,
in what has been a blue great coat? He is one of the lecturers."

"Lecturers?" enquired Tallyho; "what, hav