had in the affair of Lagrange's disappearance; but as
you were the tool of others, I stoop not to molest you. Should the
event, however, gain notoriety, _the law_ of course, will not prove
equally considerate.'

"I was overjoyed! Five hundred pounds, and the certainty of having
ruined my enemies! That night I gave a sumptuous supper to all the
frequenters of the _Jolly Thieves_; and a jolly time we had of it,
I'll assure you, comrades. The most respectable men in London were
present at the feast; there were nine cracksmen, five highwaymen,
twelve pickpockets, two murderers, three gentlemen who had escaped
from transportation, and a smart sprinkling of small workmen, in the
way of _fogle hunters_, (handkerchief thieves,) and _body snatchers_,
(grave robbers). Full forty of us sat down to a smoking supper of
stewed tripe and onions,--ah, how my mouth waters to think of it now!
And then the _lush_!--gallons of ale, rivers of porter, and oceans of
grog! Every gentleman present volunteered a song; and when it came to
be my turn, I gave the following, which, (being something of a poet,)
I had myself composed, expressly for the occasion, to the air of the
_Brave Old Oak_:--

SONG OF THE JOLLY THIEF.

"A song to the thief, the jolly, jolly thief,
Who has plied his trade so long;--
May he ne'er come down to the judge's frown,
Or the cells of Newgate strong.
'Tis a noble trade, where a living's made
By an art so bold and free;
May he never be snug in a cold, stone jug,
Or swing from a two-trunk'd tree!

CHORUS
Then here's to the thief, the jolly thief
Who plies his trade so bold--
May he never see a turnkey's key,
Or sleep in a prison cold!

"This song was received with the most uproarious applause by the
jovial crew; and we separated at a late hour, after giving three
groans for the new police.

"A few days passed away. I never neglected each morning to carefully
peruse all the newspapers; and just as I was beginning to despair of
ever seeing any announcement calculated to assure me that my enemies
were overthrown, I had the intense satisfaction of reading the
following paragraph in the _Times_:--

"'AN AFFAIR OF HONOR. Yesterday morning, his lordship Viscount Hawley
and the Honorable Captain Eugene St. Clair had a hostile meeting in
the suburbs of London. Circumstances of a delicate nature, o