THE GOLD SNUFF-BOX. 183 



enough. I'll give you and that ommadawn,"* pointing to his 

 lieutenant, " an early dinner, and bring you to the play 

 afterwards. Well, it will be tolerably dark by that time. 

 We'll pass St. Andrew's church, call next door, and get a 

 worthy man who lives convenient, and who is very liberal in 

 lending money to any body who leaves sufficient security 

 behind him,- " we'll get him, in short, to take the box at his 

 own valuation/' 



" And if it should be discovered ?" 



" Oh, little fear of that. No, my friend, before you and I 

 are in the boxes, this box will be in the melting-pot. The 

 man is a considerate and conscientious dealer. No, no, all's 

 safe with him." 



We parted for the night. At noon, next day, we met at 

 breakfast. I, although pretty conversant in odd adventures 

 and mad freaks, was dying to see the conclusion of the snuff- 

 box affair. We, of Trinity, often touched upon street-robbery 

 in poles and rattles ; and, as far as public property went, were 

 nowise scrupulous. I had once achieved a petty larceny, 

 by running off with a pine-apple from a fruiterer's, foi 

 which, however, I had the grace to send payment in the 

 morning. Still the colonel's coup was so superior to all 

 this, that I was so much interested in the denouement, as if 

 I had been a principal concerned. At the appointed hour 

 we regularly met in Dawson-street. Our host gave us the 

 best dinner in Morrison's carte, and we had champagne , 

 liqueurs, and a superabundant supply of the primest claret in 

 the cellar. 



Pending dinner, the parties made an amicable arrangement 

 touching the disposition of the booty. 



The field-officer was to share the surplus produce over the 

 payment of the tavern bill ; and the subaltern was to be the 

 vender of the spoil. 



It was nearly eight o'clock when we left Morrison's, arid 

 directed our course to the civil gentleman who lent money on 

 good security. We entered an outer hall, and thence ad- 

 vanced into one encompassed by a tier of compartments, like 

 confession-boxes. Rowly stepped into a vacant stall, and we 

 stood close behind, to " aid, comfort, and counsel." 



The money-dealer left an unfinished bargain with a trades- 



f Anglice, an idiot. 



