ted at
having an opportunity of obliging the man whom I had really some cause to
fear, in the critical situation in which his nephew's thoughtlessness had
placed me.

In my eagerness, however, and notwithstanding the political acuteness of
my manoeuvre, I got myself into an awful dilemma. Having received the
bag, and his message, I walked off, but had scarcely descended a dozen
stairs when he recalled me.

"Where the devil are you going?" cried he.

"To your house, sir," I innocently replied.

"What, do you know it, then?" demanded he in surprise.

Here was a position. It was a miracle that I did not roll over the
carpet-bag and break my neck, in the confusion of ideas engendered by
this simple query.

I could not lie, and evasion was not my forte. A man or boy in the wrong
can never express himself with propriety; an opinion in which Quinctilian
also appears to coincide, when he asserts--

"Orator perfectus nisi vir bonus esse non potest."

I therefore summoned up sufficient breath and courage to answer him in
the affirmative.

"And when, pray, were you there?" said he.

"Yesterday, sir, your nephew asked me to come and see him."

"The impudent little blackguard?" cried he.

"I hope you ain't angry, sir?"

"Angry with you?--no, my lad; you're an active little chap, and I wish
that imp of mine would take a pattern by you. Trot along, and mind you
have 'a lift' both ways."

Off I went, as light as a balloon when the ropes are cut.

I executed my commission with dispatch, and completely won the favour of
Mr. Wallis, by returning the money which he had given me for coach-hire.

"How's this?--you didn't tramp, did you?" said he.

"No, sir, I rode both ways," I replied; "but I knew the coachmen, and
they gave me a cast for nothing."

"Umph!--well, that's quite proper--quite proper," said he, considering a
moment. "Honesty's the best policy."

"Father always told me so, sir."

"Your father's right;--there's half-a-crown for you."

I was delighted--

"Quantum cedat virtutibus aurum;"

and I felt the truth of this line of Dr. Johnson's, although I was then
ignorant of it. I met his nephew on the landing, but my fears had
vanished. We talked, however, of the departed bird, and he wished me, in
the event of discovery, to declare that I had loaded and carried the gun,
and that he would bear the rest of the blame.

This, however, strongly reminded me of the two Irish smugglers:--one had
a wood