384 A GOOD FELLOW, TAKE HIM ALTOGETHER. 



of time on my hands, I was every day, and sometimes 

 oftener, in this establishment. It was a lounge. I 

 have, moreover, bought there and sold there; and 

 being always interested in those pursuits, and keeping 

 my eyes and ears open, and particularly my mouth 

 shut, I soon got au fait of all that was going on. 

 This eleven years' investigation was a pretty good 

 apprenticeship ; and a close inspection of what is 

 done in other similar establishments since has made 

 me a match for many people: but with all due and 

 proper humility, I allow I might very possibly still be 

 done by Nickem, though, like many others in unequal 

 contests, we would have a tussle for it. 



To show there is a fair chance of myself as well as 

 many others getting an occasional " stick," I will men- 

 tion how one occurred, and how I got out of it. The 

 owner of the repository I now allude to was one of 

 those few men of such imperturbable good humour 

 that nothing could ruffle it, let him do what he 

 would and certainly some very funny things he did 

 do occasionally. However victimised a man might be 

 by him, the moment you came face to face with him 

 his own honest-looking and good-tempered one dis- 

 armed all attempts to be angry with him ; and a 

 thorough good-natured and good-hearted fellow he 

 was in the main ; but he could not help doing you : 

 it was with him a positive monomania : he could not 

 be happy unless he did. People knew he would, 

 yet for the life of them they could neither keep 

 away from him, prevent his doing it, nor be angry 

 with him when he did. The way he kept his cus- 

 tomers together was this. He did you to-day : you 

 grumbled at the purchase : there was no hesitation or 



