I fear;" and therewith Paul, in a
lower voice, related to the trusty Dummie the train of accidents which
had conducted him to his present asylum. Dummie's face elongated as
he listened; however, when the narrative was over, he endeavoured such
consolatory palliatives as occurred to him. He represented, first, the
possibility that the gentleman might not take the trouble to appear;
secondly, the certainty that no watch was found about Paul's person;
thirdly, the fact that, even by the gentleman's confession, Paul had not
been the actual offender; fourthly, if the worst came to the worst, what
were a few weeks' or even months' imprisonment?

"Blow me tight!" said Dummie, "if it be n't as good a vay of passing the
time as a cove as is fond of snuggery need desire!"

This observation had no comfort for Paul, who recoiled, with all
the maiden coyness of one to whom such unions are unfamiliar, from a
matrimonial alliance with the snuggery of the House of Correction.
He rather trusted to another source for consolation. In a word, he
encouraged the flattering belief that Long Ned, finding that Paul
had been caught instead of himself, would have the generosity to come
forward and exculpate him from the charge. On hinting this idea to
Dummie, that accomplished "man about town" could not for some time
believe that any simpleton could be so thoroughly unacquainted with the
world as seriously to entertain so ridiculous a notion; and, indeed,
it is somewhat remarkable that such a hope should ever have told its
flattering tale to one brought up in the house of Mrs. Margaret Lobkins.
But Paul, we have seen, had formed many of his notions from books; and
he had the same fine theories of your "moral rogue" that possess the
minds of young patriots when they first leave college for the House of
Commons, and think integrity a prettier thing than office.

Mr. Dunnaker urged Paul, seriously, to dismiss so vague and childish a
fancy from his breast, and rather to think of what line of defence it
would be best for him to pursue. This subject being at length exhausted,
Paul recurred to Mrs. Lobkins, and inquired whether Dummie had lately
honoured that lady with a visit.

Mr. Dunnaker replied that he had, though with much difficulty, appeased
her anger against him for his supposed abetment of Paul's excesses, and
that of late she had held sundry conversations with Dummie respecting
our hero himself. Upon questioning Dummie further, Paul learn