196 LIFE OF MYTTON. 



session, and was by himself in his room. Mr. Vaugh- 

 ton and myself entered it, and such we found to be 

 the case, with the trifling difference that only two of 

 the six were carving-knives, the other four being 

 dinner or case-knives. He was lying on his bed, 

 with the six knives in his hands, when I placed my- 

 self at his side and Mr. Vaughton, a very powerful 

 man, stood at the foot. " Heyday, Squire ! " said I, 

 " what are you going to do with all those knives ? " 

 " Come and lay down by my side," said he, " and I'll 

 show you (of course, I begged to be excused). I 

 have made your fortune, and old Vaughton's too — a 

 hundred and fifty thousand pounds apiece for each of 

 you ; for I have found out that these knives will ex- 

 tract fire from flesh." "Ah!" said Mr. Vaughton; 

 " but how much better would they do that, if they 

 were warmed at the fire!" " To be sure," replied our 

 poor deluded friend ; and, giving them into his hands, 

 they were soon put outside the door. Now it will 

 no doubt appear a mystery in what way these knives 

 could have been procured ; and well it may. But 

 will it be credited, that they had been given to him 

 by his own servant, of whom I had only a few weeks 

 before required possession of everything, even to his 



