149 



his way through a phalanx of London carriages ? 

 besides, "old gentlemen" do not habitually travel 

 the crowded streets on horseback; so the purchaser 

 is not discouraged. Before his half hour is com- 

 pleted however, this sure-footed beast, that " it is 

 impossible" to make stumble, breaks down in the 

 softest quagmire he can find of metropolitan slush 

 and filth, and spills the " timid old gentleman" in 

 the kennel ! Human patience cannot stand this. 

 John is immediately dispatched with the unlucky 

 Rosinante to his owner, and desired to leave the 

 horse and bring back the money. The first is 

 easily done; the horse is left, and readily received 

 by the expecting ostler : but " master is gone to 

 dinner, and will not be back for two or three 

 hours.^' When that interval has elapsed, John 

 returns ; but finds neither horse, nor master, nor 

 groom : the stable is empty ; the neighbours know 

 nothing of the tenants, and the swindlers have 

 safely decamped wdth their "neat little cob," and 

 the " old gentleman's" twenty guineas into the 

 bargain ! ! ! 



Scarcely a week passes, that this stale and 

 shallow trick is not successfully repeated ; for the 

 rascals know very w^ell, that even if they were 

 traced to the next door of their dupe, he would 

 hesitate, after the first flush of vexation was over, 



