ive pounds'
worth of plate for twenty? Have I it not in my pocket? Art thou not a
convicted dealer in stolen goods? Yield, scoundrel, yield thy money,
or I will bring thee to justice!"

The frightened pawnbroker bullied and battled for a while; but he gave
up his money at last, and the dispute ended. Thus it will be seen that
Diabolus had rather a hard bargain in the wily Gambouge. He had taken
a victim prisoner, but he had assuredly caught a Tartar. Simon now
returned home, and, to do him justice, paid the bill for his dinner,
and restored the plate.

* * * * *

And now I may add (and the reader should ponder upon this, as a
profound picture of human life), that Gambouge, since he had grown
rich, grew likewise abundantly moral. He was a most exemplary father.
He fed the poor, and was loved by them. He scorned a base action. And
I have no doubt that Mr. Thurtell, or the late lamented Mr. Greenacre,
in similar circumstances, would have acted like the worthy Simon
Gambouge.

There was but one blot upon his character--he hated Mrs. Gam. worse
than ever. As he grew more benevolent, she grew more virulent: when he
went to plays, she went to Bible societies, and _vice versa_: in fact,
she led him such a life as Xantippe led Socrates, or as a dog leads a
cat in the same kitchen. With all his fortune--for, as may be
supposed, Simon prospered in all worldly things--he was the most
miserable dog in the whole city of Paris. Only in the point of
drinking did he and Mrs. Simon agree; and for many years, and during a
considerable number of hours in each day, he thus dissipated,
partially, his domestic chagrin. O philosophy! we may talk of thee:
but, except at the bottom of the wine-cup, where thou liest like
truth in a well, where shall we find thee?

He lived so long, and in his worldly matters prospered so much, there
was so little sign of devilment in the accomplishment of his wishes,
and the increase of his prosperity, that Simon, at the end of six
years, began to doubt whether he had made any such bargain at all, as
that which we have described at the commencement of this history. He
had grown, as we said, very pious and moral. He went regularly to
mass, and had a confessor into the bargain. He resolved, therefore, to
consult that reverend gentleman, and to lay before him the whole
matter.

"I am inclined to think, holy sir," said Gambouge, after he had
concluded his history, and shown how