122 CUNNING. 



into the room. I followed, and, seeing 

 him shake hands with one of the pas- 

 sengers, whom I knew, I addressed the 

 latter 



" I do not know if you are aware of 

 it, but you are shaking hands with one of 

 the most consummate scoundrels I ever 

 met with." 



"Order, order, Sir!" said he; "order is 

 the first law of nature." 



"True," I said, "and it is a pity you 

 have been suffered to violate it so long 

 for you ought to have been hanged long 

 ago." 



Saying this, I left the room. When he 

 rejoined me, during the remainder of the 

 journey he attempted to turn into ridi- 

 cule my sympathy for his intended victim, 

 whom he represented as a hypocritical, 

 canting rascal, at the same time extolling 

 his own masterly display of cunning, by 

 his almost successful attempt at robbing 

 him of his last shilling, the defeat of which 



