his
thin, delicate digits, palpably demonstrative of his faculty of
adaptation--_crede_ James Hardy Vaux--were employed with a silver
toothpick. In other respects, he seemed to be lost in reverie, and was,
in all probability, meditating new exploits.

Next to King sat our old friend Jerry Juniper; not, however, the Jerry
of the gipsies, but a much more showy-looking personage. Jerry was no
longer a gentleman of "three _outs_"--the difficulty would now have been
to say what he was "without." Snakelike he had cast his slough, and
rejoiced in new and brilliant investiture. His were "speaking garments,
speaking pockets too." His linen was of the finest, his hose of the
smartest. Gay rings glittered on his fingers; a crystal snuff-box
underwent graceful manipulation; a handsome gold repeater was sometimes
drawn from its location with a monstrous bunch of onions--_anglice_,
seals--depending from its massive chain. Lace adorned his wrists, and
shoes--of which they had been long unconscious,--with buckles nearly as
large as themselves, confined his feet. A rich-powdered peruke and
silver-hilted sword completed the gear of the transmogrified Jerry, or,
as he now chose to be designated, Count Albert Conyers. The fact was,
that Jerry, after the _fracas_, apprehensive that the country would be
too hot for him, had, in company with Zoroaster, quitted the ranks of
the Canting Crew, and made the best of his way to town. A lucky _spice_
on the road set them up; and having some acquaintance with Tom King, the
party, on their arrival, sought him out at his customary haunt,
D'Osyndar's, and enlisted under his banners.

Tom received them with open arms, gave them unlimited use of his
wardrobe, and only required a little trifling assistance in return. He
had a grand scheme _in petto_, in the execution of which they could
mainly assist him. Jerry was a _Greek_ by nature, and could _land_ a
flat as well as the best of them. Zoroaster was just the man to _lose_ a
fight; or, in the language of the _Fancy_, to _play a cross_. No two
_legs_ could serve Tom's purposes better. He welcomed them with
fraternal affection.

We will now proceed to reconnoitre Jerry's opposite neighbor, who was,
however, no other than that Upright Man,

The Magus Zoroaster, that great name.

Changed as was Juniper, the Magus was yet more whimsically
metamorphosed. Some traces of Jerry still remained, but not a vestige
was left of the original Dimber Damber. Hi