till all graciousness.

"I'll call a hansom and wait for you in it."

When he had left the saloon I spoke to the new arrival. He had noticed
the man I had been talking to, and was kind enough to warn me against
him.

"That man," he said, "bears a very bad reputation. He makes it his trade
to meet new arrivals from England--weak-brained young pigeons with
money. He shows them round Sydney, and plucks them so clean that, when
they leave his hands, in nine cases out of ten, they haven't a feather
left to fly with. You ought not, with your experience of rough
customers, to be taken in by him."

"Nor am I," I replied. "I am going to teach him a lesson. Come with me."

Arm in arm we walked into the street, watched by Mr. Hawk from his seat
in the cab. When we got there we stood for a moment chatting, and then
strolled together down the pavement. Next moment I heard the cab coming
along after us, and my friend hailing me in his silkiest tones; but
though I looked him full in the face I pretended not to know him. Seeing
this he drove past us--pulled up a little farther down and sprang out to
wait for me.

"I was almost afraid I had missed you," he began, as we came up with
him. "Perhaps as it is such a fine day you would rather walk than ride?"

"I beg your pardon," I answered. "I'm really afraid you have the
advantage of me."

"But you have asked me to lunch with you at the _Quebec_. You told me to
call a hansom."

"Pardon me again! but you are really mistaken. I said I was going to
lunch at the _Quebec_, and asked you if it was far enough to be worth
while taking a hansom. That is your hansom, not mine. If you don't
require it any longer, I should advise you to pay the man and let him
go."

"You are a swindler, sir. I refuse to pay the cabman. It is your
hansom."

I took a step closer to my fine gentleman, and, looking him full in the
face, said as quietly as possible, for I didn't want all the street to
hear:

"Mr. _Dorunda_ Dodson, let this be a lesson to you. Perhaps you'll think
twice next time before you try your little games on me!"

He stepped back as if he had been shot, hesitated a moment, and then
jumped into his cab and drove off in the opposite direction. When he had
gone I looked at my astonished companion.

"Well, now," he ejaculated at last, "how on earth did you manage that?"

"Very easily," I replied. "I happened to remember having met that
gentleman up in our part of the world when he was