watchfulness to prevent
evil. My uncle Ro gave the crew of this news-boat a thorough scrutiny,
and, finding no one on board her whom he had ever before seen, he
bargained for a passage up to town.

We put our feet on the Battery just as the clocks of New York were
striking eight. A custom-house officer had examined our carpet-bags and
permitted them to pass, and we had disburthened ourselves of the effects
in the ship, by desiring the captain to attend to them. Each of us had a
town-house, but neither would go near his dwelling; mine being only kept
up in winter, for the use of my sister and an aunt who kindly took
charge of her during the season, while my uncle's was opened
principally for his mother. At that season, we had reason to think
neither was tenanted but by one or two old family servants; and it was
our cue also to avoid them. But "Jack Dunning," as my uncle always
called him, was rather more of a friend than of an agent; and he had a
bachelor establishment in Chamber Street that was precisely the place we
wanted. Thither, then, we proceeded, taking the route by Greenwich
Street, fearful of meeting some one in Broadway by whom we might be
recognised.

CHAPTER IV.

_Cit._ "Speak, speak."

_1 Cit._ "You are all resolved rather to die than to famish?"

_Cit._ "Resolved, resolved."

_1 Cit._ "First you know, Caius Marcus is chief enemy to the people."

_Cit._ "We know't, we know't."

_1 Cit._ "Let's kill him, and we'll have corn at our own price.

Is't a verdict?"

_Coriolanus._

The most inveterate Manhattanese, if he be anything of a man of the
world, must confess that New York is, after all, but a Rag-Fair sort of
a place, so far as the eye is concerned. I was particularly struck with
this fact, even at that hour, as we went stumbling along over an
atrociously bad side-walk, my eyes never at rest, as any one can
imagine, after five years of absence. I could not help noting the
incongruities; the dwellings of marble, in close proximity with
miserable, low constructions in wood; the wretched pavements, and, above
all, the country air, of a town of near four hundred thousand souls. I
very well know that many of the defects are to be ascribed to the rapid
growth of the place, which gives it a sort of hobbledehoy look; but,
being a Manhattanese by birth, I thought I might just as well own it
all, at once, if it were only for the information of a partic