THE LION'S SHARE. 411 



taken 38/., where he had no duty to pay. Now if 

 Nick buys, he stops the 21. from the seller on paying 

 him : if the purchaser pays, he draws it from him ; 

 so either way Nick gets 21. in his hand. Some people 

 (like the malignant ones I have mentioned) might say 

 they wonder if the 21. ever leaves it. I say of course 

 it does ; it goes to Government, unless in the hurry 

 of business he might on such an occasion forget to 

 pay it over. Should he do so, there is 21. as clear as 

 21. can be. Now, in selling again, suppose Nick 

 should sell a horse for a dealer at 45/., for which the 

 dealer had given 40/. the same day : the dealer would, 

 in one case, have to pay out of it 405. duty, 45. com- 

 mission to Nick for selling him, and say 2s. to Nick's 

 men, making 4tl. 7s. : so he would only get 13s. profit 

 after all. If the dealer bought where the owner pays 

 the duty, he would make 21. 7s. by his purchase, but, 

 in the latter case, he would have given 21. more out 

 of the horse's value than where the buyer pays. So 

 the 5/. additional is not always to be got ; if he takes 

 31. advance on the price, he still makes but the 13s. 

 or thereabouts. Now, if Nick buys, he has 21. in 

 hand, which he may forget to hand over ; he stops of 

 course 21. more for selling the horse TO HIMSELF. If 

 he is fortunate enough to sell him at 45^., this really 

 looks like 9/. made at least many people will think 

 so; but I say it is only 7/., for such is my confidence 

 in Nick, that I say he will not forget the 21. duty : 

 I would bet my life he would not FORGET it, not he!* 

 Let us suppose Nickem not to be able to bring down 

 the price of a customer's horse to what he wants him 



* Since writing the first edition of this work the auction duty 

 has ceased: Nickems therefore now substitute other sources of 

 profit in lieu of the one above alluded to. 



