MERCY IS TWICE BLESSED. 367 



and who, in contradistinction from authors in general, 

 does not feel himself under any great obligation to the 

 performers for playing their parts so well : in fact, 

 though he was told all was done that could be done 

 for his benefit, it was himself who was done, and his 

 benefit was, as I fear such things often are, no benefit 

 to any one but the lessee of the premises. Let us, 

 however, in charity hope, that whatever Mr. Nickem's 

 deserts may be, he will be off the stage when we 

 expect the . drop scene ! Our own cup of iniquity is 

 full enough : let us, therefore, if the business of the 

 stage demands him, mercifully direct the call-boy, 

 wherever the culprit may be, to seek him on the 

 0. P. S. This shall not, however, deter us from being 

 on our guard against his usual cast of character. To 

 assist my reader in being so, will be my attempt in 

 the following pages. 



I alluded to Nickem's managing to sell a horse for 

 a much larger sum than he intended to hand over to 

 the owner, and at the same time so to arrange the 

 transaction as to shield himself from blame even should 

 the fact come to light : but, before I explain this, jus- 

 tice demands an observation or two on the subject. 



Whenever any one attempts to expose the tricks 

 and nefarious practices of any particular business or 

 class of men, he should be particularly careful not to 

 allow it to be supposed that what he shows may be 

 done, and certainly is done in some places, is the 

 general practice in all, or that what a Nickem may do 

 is to be expected from every man filling the same 

 situation in life. There are doubtless many men of 

 his avocation of great respectability, and in whom we 

 may implicitly trust. We may never be so unfortu- 

 nate as to meet with a Nickem: if so, I allow a know- 



