114 SPECULATORS. 



atmosphere of St. Stephen's, he added 

 an intellect superior to most of his 

 class in shrewdness and tact, and this 

 with a soft oily expression, that pro- 

 cured for him the soubriquet of u Bite 'em 

 sly." He possessed, also, a sort of playful 

 sarcasm, he was fond of exhibiting, under 

 which he disguised his real object; by 

 these gifts he raised himself to eminence, 

 and procured a host of worshippers. 



There were others who rose from the 

 most menial situations, compared with these, 

 to be members of the same august body. 

 With wits sharpened in the lowest 

 purlieus of an inn, they acquired in the 

 north an habitual taste for railway 

 transactions ; and when the mania was at 

 its zenith, they snatched the opportunity of 

 gaming a position, that gave them such an 

 amount of patronage, as would at any time 

 ensure their election for small constituen- 

 cies, such as Salisbury, York, Bodmin, 

 Harwich, and similar places. 



