astonishing; but no, he won't see them, the etar nal fool; for sich connections, in course, might do something for him. It's pride, o' my think ing; for raythey than putt hisself hunder a ob. ligation, he goes on and on here as poor as a bug.'

Is he a lawyer, or in any way connected with

the law ?'

'Heaven and earth only knows what he is, or what he does. I can't make him out, and never could.'

"Well, I'm obliged to you for the information. Good day.'

As the eyes of Mr. Bull now began to be opened; as he pretty clearly saw that this was in reality a most villanous transaction, he called upon the attorney whom he knew, and who walked to the lockup house with him.

As they entered the room which was occupied by George, he looked at the attorney with an expression indicative of something like a desire to annihilate him without any unnecessary loss of time, conceiving that, of course, he was no other person than the veritable Christopher Draygon, Gent. On being undeceived, however, his countenance changed, and they entered calmly into the question of what was to be done.

"This is not by any means,' said the attorney, 'an uncommon occurrence, although it appears to be, and is in reality monstrous. My only wonder is that they did not proceed a little farther, and have a couple of affidavits and a couple of plaintiffs, in order that the difficulty might thereby be doubled. However, as it is, there is nothing to be done but to find good bail.'

'The amount is so large!' said George. 'True: it is, indeed, a large amount; but as the matter is certain to come to nothing, Mr. Bul, I should say, might easily find an equally responsible person to join him.'

This rather startled Bull. The idea of becoming bail for so large a sum as ten thousand pounds, had a powerful effect upon his nerves. He did not, however, see how he could refuse, and was therefore quite silent.

'But surely,' said George, who had watched Bull intently, and knew pretty well what was passing in his mind, 'surely a judge, sir, would order my discharge upon finding nominal bail, or a strong affidavit of the facts?'

That has been tried,' replied the attorney, again and again. The judge assumes to have no such power. His argument is that if he could discharge on the plea of not owing the money, in a case for five or ten thousand pounds, he could do it for twenty pounds, or any other He would thus have all the trying; and if that were once established, he would have as many cases as if he were invested with the power of unmarrying the married. Bail, sir, must be found, or you'll have to lie in a prison, sir, for twelve or eighteen months; for, of course, they'll rule you on.'

sum.

'But can't we punish the knaves?' inquired Bull. Is there no sort of remedy?'

Remedy? Oh, yes of course, there's a remedy! It's a free Briton's proudest boast that

there can be no wrong without a remedy For example, you bring your action for a malicious arrest, and what do you get? Why, after going os for perhaps a year and a half you get a verdict, and that's about all you do get. Where's

the defendant? He's not to be found. His name is Christopher Draygon, and he lived at a marine store-shop in Fetter Lane once, but where is he now? Who can tell? You can't find him!—and even if you can, what then?— what is he? A beggar! Still, there's no wrong with ut a remedy! Bail, sir, must be had; nothing else can be done.'

'It's a monstrous sum of money,' observed Bull, is ten thousand pounds.'

'Yes, but then it isn't like a real debt,' said the attorney.

'You'd have no difficulty, at fl, you know, in getting a friend to join you in such a case as this.'

'I don't know, people don't like to do it, they don't.'

'You can get it done, there's no doubt about that. The only question is, have you sufficient confidence in Mr. Julian?'

I have every confidence in him, I have. I do not believe he would do anything wrong for the world.'

'There is nothing to induce him to do so in this case; he has not any temptation to fix his bail.'

'I see that, I do; I see it clearly. Well! I'll go at once and do what I can.'

I only want to get out,' said George, who had for some time been pacing the room in silence, and I'll undertake to relieve you of all responsibility within a week.'

'My dear boy, I've the most perfect confidence in you. It shall be done. I promise you I'll do it without delay.'

This promise was faithfully performed; and as the officer was perfectly satisfied with the bail, on receiving a liberal fee, George was liberated in the course of a few hours.

'Now,' said Bull, when this had been accomplished, as you strongly suspect that man Tynte, I'll tell you what I did this morning.'

'He then entered into a full explanation of all that had occurred, and when he had finished, George exclaimed,

"I am glad of it.'

"The worst of it! Who'd have thought it possible? Coming to me, as he did here, with a face as long as my arm and begging my pardon, and hoping I'd forgive him, and all for the purpose of taking me in!-the scoundrel! I'd have forgiven him if I'd only known it. I'd have kick ed him out of the office as clean as a whistle.I'd have strangled him, I would. Is a fellow like that fit to live on the face of the earth? I'll trounce him. I'll teach him to come with his bits of rags to me! Why he ought to be brought to the stake, he ought! Plundering people like that!'

'Have you posted the letter to Gloster?'

Oh it's gone. The scoundrel! I put it in my self to make sure.'

Well, then we shall soon see how the case stands. If it be as I anticipare, I'll in the first place, release you from all responsibility on my account, and then with arguments which shall

not fail, I'll convince him of the expediency, not only of making restitution, but of never even attempting to annoy either of us in any way again!'

Frighten him into fits, my dear boy! make him feel as if he hadn't a head on.'

'I'll manage him. Leave him to me.' 'But did you ever hear of such a blackguard? It's enough to make a man hit his mother. I shall always look with an eye of suspicion, I shall, upon him who pulls a long face and comes to beg pardon. I feel so mad, my dear boy, at being bit in this barefaced way, I don't know how to contain myself, I don't. I'm fit to bite my own nose off!'

And it is a striking fact, that as he did not believe himself then to be quite so clever as he had imagined himself to be, he was humiliated even in his own estimation.

(TAKEN FROM THE DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE FOR MARCH.)

CHAPTER IX.

THE POTATO SPECULATION.

As George had anticipated, so it occurred; no such person as the one to whom the letter had been addressed, was known at Gloucester; while Tynte, hearing that George was most anxious to meet with him, wisely kept out of the way. He could nowhere be found; the whole of his associates were applied to in vain, not one of them had seen him, but they all had to propose highly lucrative schemes, in which they hoped that he would join them, but to which he refused even to listen for a moment.

On calling, however, upon Wese to ascertain if he knew of Tynte's retreat, he was replied to in a manner so solemn, and under circum stances so extraordinary, that he consented to give his best attention to the matter, and to advise him when he had heard the particulars, how to act, which so delighted the immortal Peter, that he seized his hand and shook it with an expression of joy.

I have conceived, sir,' said he, assuming a most important aspect, on becoming somewhat tranquil, 'I have conceived, sir, a project, an original project, which, if well carried out, sir, cannot fail to make our fortunes at once; and what is more, it's on the square, sir!-strictly on the square.'

Well!' said George, who was certainly rather curious to know what sort of scheme he had the power to conceive, for it must be confessed that he had been taken by surprise, inasmuch as he had never even entertained the notion that Peter had been on any occasion blessed with an idea

which could lay claim to anything bearing the semblance of originality. Well-what is it?'

'Sir;' replied Peter, 'I'll tell you; and you are the only man in the world whom I would tell. I haven't named it to a single soul; I have kept it, sir, within my own breast. Not that I'm afraid of people acting upon the idea, because they couldn't carry it out, sir; were they to make the attempt, they would only spoil it. No, sir, the thing must be done by us, we alone, car manage it; you and I sir are the only men!'

George smiled, but seemed to be any.ious for him to come the point.

In the first place, sir,' continued Peter, 'we must get a patent for it; we must secure it t ourselves, and they can't refuse to grant us a patent!-that's perfectly impossible.'

But what is it?' said George impatiently. 'Sir,' replied Peter, who was in no sort of haste; "it is a thing which will yield a profit, sir, of one thousand six hundred per cent. Look at that!-sixteen hundred per cent. !'

"That is rather a large profit, sir,' observed George.

Sir, it is a large profit; but it is to be done, and what is more, sir, done with ease!'

'I am impatient to know what it is! It must be something very important, I should think.'

'It is, sir, of universal importance. I've got the prospectus drawn out, and all the preliminaries arranged; I've been working hard at it, sir: every thing is ready, and I mean, sir, to call it THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN ASSOCIATION FOR THE RENOVATION OF WHITE KID GLOVES!"

For the renovation of what!' exclaimed George, laughing heartily.

'White kid gloves,' replied Peter, with a solemn expression, wondering what on earth could have made George merry: don't you think it a capital idea?'

Oh, excellent!-but how do you mean to proceed?'

"Why, in the first place, sir, we must take a magnificent office; appoint a banker, a solicitor, and so on; issue prospectuses-I've got a flamer, ready capital fifty thousand pounds, in five hundred pounds each; it's of no use commencing with less than fifty thousand.'

'No; I should say that is about the smallest capital you ought to commence with to do any good. But how do you renovate gloves? and how can sixteen hundred per cent. be obtain

ed?'

'I'll explain,—but, in the strictest confidence!'

'Of course!'

'Well, sir, then I have made the discovery, that by dipping a piece of flannel in the spirits of turpentine, and rubbing it over the gloves, every species of dirt in an instant disappears; when, by washing them well in cold water, and letting them gradually dry, you restore them to their pristine beauty; you make them, sir, just as good as new, without the shape being altered, or the stitches destroyed.'

Very well now, two pair of white kid gloves, sir, can be cleaned at the cost of one farthing; half a farthing's-worth of turpentine being sufficient to clean each pair-charge four pence per pair for their renovation, and that gives you a profit at once of one thousand six hundred

per cent.'

'Well, certainly nothing can be clearer than that. But why do you propose to call it the British and Foreign Association ?'

'Because most of the kid gloves worn sir, are foreigners. Those buff ones are Frenchmen, You have on. I can tell them in a moment. Now I suppose you gave half a crown for 1 these ?'

'That I believe was the price.'

Very well then; just look at the case as it sti inds. When they are soiled, and they soon are, you can't wear them; you buy another pair, and have to give another half crown; whereas, if you had them renovated for the small charge of fourpence, you would save within a fraction of four hundred per cent. So that you see the importance of the scheme is so general and so vast, that I have not the slightest doubt that we realize at least twenty thousand a-year.'

"Certainly not less than that,' said George drily.

No; I don't see how we can. And then, you know, we'll have the whole of the workmen sworn to secrecy.'

Yes, that I should say, will be very essential. How many pair of white kid gloves are purchased every year?'

'How many?'-cried Peter-'can't tell.'

"Oh, that of course must be got for the prospectus. Show that;-get the average for the last ten years, and then you know we'll talk about the patent.'

This rather puzzled Peter. But he promised promptly to get at it-nay, he would!-and when George had left, began to consider how, without suspecting for a moment that George had not been much struck with either the excellence or the practicability of the project.

Now, at this particular period the revenue was being constantly defrauded to a considerable extent in the department of stamps; as the process by which it had been effected had become well known to him, and as he had for some time made the means by which it could be effectually prevented his study, George, wishing to do something which might place him in a better position before McGregor returned from Poyais, wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, soliciting an interview and stating the object proposed.

As a brief explanation of the mode in which this species of fraud was accomplished may be held to be necessary, it will be proper here to state that by a chemical process the ink was discharged from old stamps which (the stamps themselves, of course, being perfectly uninjured) were sold again as new. This system was carried to an immense extent then, and has been practised ever since. It is indeed an indisputable fact, that the articles of a great proportion of the Jew attorneys, at present practising in London, were engrossed upon old stamps purloined from the Master's office in the Temple. But the loss to the revenue was not all; the public suffered by the system to a ruinous extent; and as names and dates could be removed from any instrument with the utmost facility, it may be readily conceived that if the system were carried to the extent which it might be carried, commercial credit in this or any other country would be utterly destroyed. George would undertake to discharg any portion of the writing on a bill of exchange, a cheque, a will, or, in fact, any other kind of instrument; and it was with the view of checking the knaves by whom it was fraudulently practised that he sought and eventually discovered the means of rendering it impossible.

His letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer was well received and an early interview promised. Indeed, the answer returned was of a character so favorable, that George went in search of premises adapted to the manufacture of paper, having explained in his letter to the Chancellor, that in consideration of the public service rendered he should expect to have the contract for the supply of all the paper to be used for stamps in the United Kingdom, it being only from a peculiarly manufactured paper that ink could not be discharged.

While looking out for premises suitable for this purpose in the vicinity of London, he happened to hear that an extremely clever person, named Colman, who had at that time the temporary management of a slate quarry near Portsmouth, and who had for years been engaged in the manufacture of paper, was the very man to whom he ought at once to apply, and who would be happy to give him whatever information on the subject he might require. 40