St. Helena, like a
Corsican conjurer, shuffle and cut about among kings and queens, knaves
and asses, (aces I mean) dealing out honours when he liked, and taking
trumps as he thought fit?--did he not deal and take up again almost as
he pleased, having generally an honour in his sleeve to be played at
command, or _un roi dans le marche_; by which cheating, it was scarcely
possible for any one to get fair play with him, till, flushed by
success, and not knowing how to bear his prosperity, he played too
desperately and too long? The tables were turned upon him, and his
enemies cheated him, first of his liberty, and ultimately of his life."

At this moment Tallyho, who was listening in close attention to his
Cousin, struck his foot against a brown paper parcel which rolled before
him.--"Hallo!" exclaimed he, "what have we here?--somebody has dropped a
prize."

"It is mine, Sir," said an old woman, dropping them a curtsey with a
smile which shone through her features, though thickly begrimed with
snuff.

"A bite," said Tom.

"I dropp'd it from my pocket, Sir, just now."

"And pray," inquired Tom, "what does it contain?" picking it up.

"Snuff, Sir," was the reply; "a kind, good-hearted Gentleman gave it to
me--God bless him, and bless your Honour too!" with an additional smile,
and a still lower curtsey.

Upon examining the paper, which had been broken by the kick, Tom
perceived, that by some magic or other, the old woman's snuff had become
sugar.

"Zounds!" said he, "they have played some trick upon you, and given you
brimstone instead of snuff, or else you are throwing dust in our eyes."

The parcel, which contained a sample of sugar, was carefully rolled up
again and tied, then dropped to be found by any body else who chose to
stoop for it.

"This," said Dashall, "does not turn out to be what I first expected;
for the practices of ring and money ~359~~ dropping{1} have, at various
times, been carried on with great success, and to the serious injury
of the unsuspecting. The persons who generally apply themselves to this
species of cheating are no other than gamblers who ingeniously contrive,
by dropping a purse or a ring, to draw in some customer with a view to
induce him to play; and notwithstanding their arts have frequently been
exposed, we every now and then hear of some flat being done by these
sharps, and indeed there are constantly customers in London to be had
one way or another."

"Then you had an