troduction. Not one fact was stated by Sir George Smoothly that was not set down in my paper-not one argument did he use which I had not expressly suggested! I-poor ignorant being that I was-had been the sole adviser and correspondent of this audacious impostor ! I had been made to do service for a whole army of witnesses, just as, in some mean theatrical exhibition, a single lout in buckram passes and repasses on the stage as the representative of Richard's forces at the field of Bosworth! I read the speech twice over, in the hope that I might find, for the mitigation of my self-reproach, something beyond what I had communicated. There was no trace of anything of the kind. I, whom no man in his senses would have brought forward as a witness on such a subject before a select committee, was absolutely horrified to find myself represented as the embodiment of the wisdom and practical experience of the North; and the extreme annoyance which I then felt will never pass from my recollection.

To discover that you have been thoroughly duped and befooled is not a pleasant sensation. The poor cat had practical experience of that when the monkey used its paw as the implement for extracting the chestnuts from the fire; but the personal slight which had been passed upon me gave me less annoyance than the thought that I had, unwittingly indeed, been made an accomplice in a gross and fraudulent deception. It was undoubtedly some little consolation to reflect that in the execution of my task I had been throughout conscientious, that I had perused the documents which were laid before me with care, and in an impartial spirit, and that I had refrained from hazarding rash and speculative opinions upon a subject of so much importance. That in some points I should have erred in judgment was natural and to be expected that I should have attached more importance than was justly due to the statements and representations of enthusiasts did not infer absolute blame; neither would it have been fair to taunt me with the adage of ne sutor ultra crepidam, since I had studied the subject to such an extent

as would have justified me in treating of it in an article; and in these days of rapid, and, I fear, careless legislation, men must perforce avail themselves of such material as comes most readily to hand, following the example of the lawyers who, without any deep medical knowledge, contrive to glean from treatises so much information with regard to toxicology as enables them sometimes to puzzle and confound even the most experienced practitioners.

But the gall and wormwood lay in the reflection that I had been made a party to a lie; and that this hoary humbug, whom I now regarded with absolute detestation, evidently believed that he might safely calculate on my acquiescence. I could not help seeing that he looked upon me as one whom he had already bribed, and with whom it was no longer necessary to keep up appearances. A thorough adept in the diabolical policy, he conceived that, having once wrought me to his will, he might dispense with the garb of an angel of light, and exhibit the cloven hoof in all its bare deformity. As the habitual profligate and seducer, after he has secured his victim, throws away the mask of virtuous intentions, so did this Smoothly, very calmly and deliberately, disclose to me his real countenance, which was that of a consummate rascal. I doubt not that he considered his secret perfectly safe, being confident that I would not, from interested motives, venture to expose him. And it was safe with me; though I would not condescend, after such an instance of duplicity, to have any further dealings with the man. As yet the falsehood was his alone. To continue my relations with him would be an act of guilty complicity, a stain upon my honour, a deed of self-degradation. I resolved at once, and without ceremony, to get rid of so disreputable a connection.

I had not long to wait for an opportunity. In the course of the same day a ponderous package was left at my rooms, accompanied by the following note :-

"MY DEAR SIR,-I have not, at the present moment, leisure to inform you fully of the commendations

which your valuable, or rather invaluable paper elicited in a certain quarter. You will, doubtless, have observed from the newspapers, that I made some use of the facts which you had arranged with so much skill and perspicuity; and I do not doubt that in a very short time it will be in my power to convey to you a message which shall satisfactorily prove that your promptitude in meeting my wishes has been duly appreciated. The usage of official reticence prevents me from being more explicit; but probably I have said enough to convince you that your interests are safe in my hands. In the mean time, and as a further proof of your aptitude for the public service, I venture to suggest that you should make a resumé or abstract of the documents which I now send, bearing upon a subject which ere long will engross the attention of the country. It is desirable that this should be done as speedily as possible.-Believe me to remain always, my dear sir, yours very faithfully and sincerely,

"G. SMOOTHLY."

The documents referred to in this precious epistle were three enormously thick folios, crammed full of figures, purporting to be the report of a Select Committee upon the Trade, Commerce, and Manufactures of the United Kingdom.

"I wish St Dunstan had you by the nose with his tongs, you wretched old hypocrite!" was my mental apostrophe. Green as the grass was I to suffer you to bubble me once; but to do so twice is entirely beyond your power! And you may thank your stars, if any star has an interest in so miserable a being, that I am above evoking the revenge which your own stupidity has suggested! What could be easier for me than to sit down and frame a table of results so utterly preposterous and absurd as would leave you, after you had stated it to the House of Commons as the product of your own laborious inquiries, utterly bankrupt in reputation, and make you a public laughing-stock? Would that be malice? Not at all. There is no malice in trapping vermin; and what fun it would be to see the plausible impostor involving

VOL. LXXXVIII.-NO. DXXXIX.

himself in a network of hopeless contradiction and inextricable blunder, to the discomfiture of his panicstricken colleagues, and the delight of a joyous Opposition! Clever as you think yourself to be, Sir George Smoothly, I begin to doubt whether you have made a sufficient compact with the fiend; for at this moment I feel him at my elbow, jogging me towards the inkstand. But, avaunt Sathanus! Leave we things to their course. It is of the nature of imposture, however gigantic and temporarily successful, that it must sooner or later expose itself; and though ministerial impostors die hard, they cannot escape the inevitable doom. That being my conviction, you shall pass scatheless for once; but you never shall have the opportunity of insulting me again!"

So I sent him the following polite

note :

"Mr Sinclair is gratified to learn that the private information which Sir George Smoothly has received from persons of high position and character in Scotland, is corroborative of the views which Mr S. ventured to express, after a careful perusal of the documents which were placed in his hands. For the assurances of good-will contained in Sir G. Smoothly's letter, Mr Sinclair is duly grateful; but as his other avocations will not admit of his devoting any further portion of his time to the preparation of parliamentary abstracts, he is under the necessity of returning the statistical volumes, and begs that Sir G. Smoothly will give himself no further trouble on his account."

Ingenuous young reader, whose faith in the sincerity of trading politicians has not yet been shaken by the rude hand of experience !-you possibly may regard the preceding sketch as an exaggeration. Yet, if you should ever be tempted to linger on the threshold of patronage, and court the smiles of those who have the entry, you may esteem yourself fortunate if you escape as easily as I did from the clutches of a senatorial swindler.

2 C

“Sinclair,” said Attie Faunce, one morning, as he was lounging in my room, "have you been at Lord Windermere's lately?"

"No, Attie; and, what is more, I have never yet seen his lordship."

"Indeed it is a comfort to know that there is at least one man ready to testify against the tuft-hunting propensities of the age. Now, as you have profited, in some respects, by my insatiable curiosity, I hope you will not be offended if I ask the reason why?"

"To confess the truth, Attie, that is a question I have put to myself more than once without receiving a satisfactory explanation."

"Then, Sinclair, depend upon it, you and your conscience are at variance. Shall I tell you how the matter stands? You feel that you ought to wait on Lord Windermere, and you don't like to do so; your pride, or obstinacy, or some such other ridiculous scruple, standing in the way. Have I not guessed aright?” "I must acknowledge that you are very near the mark."

66 Nay, I am certain that I have hit the bull's eye. Now, setting bashfulness and that sort of thing aside, do you really think that you are conducting yourself politely towards Lord Windermere by turning your back upon him? Does it not strike you that that is tantamount to an affront?"

"Nonsense, Attie! you forget the difference of our position."

"Do you mean to say that the poor or humble have it not in their power to affront the rich or proud? I should like to hear you maintain that position. Why, old Diogenes, who lived in a tub, affronted Alexander the Great by desiring him to stand out of the sunshine; and I rather imagine that Lord Chesterfield was considerably affronted by the famous letter of Samuel Johnson. You see I have read enough to be able to cite an instance or two that will apply. But to come to the immediate case; I presume-no offence-that you consider yourself to be a gentleman?" "I hope so."

"And is not Lord Windermere also a gentleman?"

"Undoubtedly he is."

"Why, then, should you withhold from him that courtesy which is the common bond of gentlemen, and their duty towards each other? Excuse me for speaking so frankly. You are an older and much abler man than I am, Sinclair, but you have not yet rubbed off the old skin of prejudice. Come-what would you say if I were to accuse you of cowardice?"

"No third party being present, which might make a difference, I would ask for an explanation of the charge."

"Well; cowardice, I grant you, is an ugly term, but it has many modifications. Ask yourself, however, this, or let me ask it of you: If Lord Windermere were simply a private gentleman, without wealth or station, would you not, considering what has passed between you, have made his acquaintance long ago?" Attie-you young villain! who taught you to be so cunning of fence?"

66

"A palpable hit! Score me one. 'Our son shall win,' as the Queen says in Hamlet. Are you ready for another bout?"

"No; I give in. You have the best of it in argument, and I cannot but acknowledge that you are in the right."

66

Then, my dear Sinclair, don't you persist in the wrong. I never pestered you with personal inquiries, which would have been downright impertinence on my part; but Uncle Osborne, with whom, let me tell you, you are an immense favourite, has told me something about you; and I know that you have very wisely given up the idea of soliciting official employment. That being the case, I presume you have no favour to ask from Lord Windermere or any one else. I know there are a few men, and I think you are one of them, who, though they may have a direct claim upon a great man for the exercise of his interest on their behalf, would rather cut their tongues out

than undergo the pain of asking for it. It is an honourable if not a wise feeling, and I say nothing against it. But, having nothing to solicit, why not cultivate the friendship of Lord Windermere? It would be an immense thing for you in a mere social point of view; for, let me tell you, there are hundreds of fellows, moving in good society in London, who would esteem it a very high honour indeed if they received an invitation from his lordship."

"That may be true enough, Attie; but I don't choose to show myself under false colours. I am neither more nor less than a journalist; not by way of amusement or occasional occupation, as is the pretence of some men who live in the Inns of Court and call themselves lawyers, but a downright slave of the pen; and I think I have heard it said that persons in a high position do not affect the society of journalists. It is that consideration chiefly that has hitherto deterred me from obtruding myself on the notice of Lord Windermere." "Good lack, how punctilious we are!" said Attie Faunce. "I wish the old gentleman were here to argue the matter with you; for, my life on it, he would make you thoroughly ashamed of yourself before you were four minutes older. Look to himself, for instance. Uncle Osborne is not a literary man; his former occupation as a soldier gave him nothing more than a respectable place in society; and though I believe he is tolerably rich, there are thousands of men in the city far wealthier than he is, who are held in no estimation. Yet, let me tell you, he is courted not only by persons of title, but by ministers, diplomatists, and the highest intellectual celebrities of the day. Not a door in the west end that would not joyfully open to him; not a coterie, however fastidious and exclusive, to which he could not gain admission. It is his way to keep aloof from society as much as possible, for the old boy, as you may have observed, is somewhat of an Epicurean, and likes to concentrate his comforts at home; but he is an Amphitryon of the first class, and I doubt whether there is any man of political or literary eminence who has not been glad to avail himself of Uncle Os

borne's hospitality-ay, and to boast of it afterwards as if it were a thing to be proud of. And why is this? Just because he is a leading newspaper proprietor, thoroughly independent, utterly beyond corruption, uncommonly shrewd and far-sighted, and the wielder of a power that makes itself felt throughout the nation."

"But a proprietor is different from a writer."

"No doubt he is; and you might add, that a publisher is different from an author. But, let me tell you, Sinclair, that you greatly underrate your own position, or rather, to speak more correctly, that you attach more importance to its consideration than it deserves. I have seen a good deal of authors and writers of every kind. As a class they are not popular; but that does not arise from their vocation--it arises from their personal peculiarities. For example, one fellow who seems very pleasant upon paper, is absolutely tongue-tied in society, and has the manners of a boor. Another is forward and flippant, always trying to say something smart or witty, and disgusts by positive impertinence. A third, being in his own opinion a genius, expects that every one shall worship him, and becomes sullen and sulky if he does not engross the whole attention of the company. Some there are who consider it necessary, or at least becoming, to put on airs of eccentricity, and conduct themselves as fantastically as Malvolio in the garden, when he appeared cross-gartered and in yellow stockings. Others, I am sorry to say, comport themselves in all companies as if they were in a pothouse, which, indeed, is the locality most congenial to their disposition. Such men, if they are neglected cr scorned, have themselves entirely to blame. It is not their profession, but their personal defects or follies that stand in the way of their recognition. The truth is, that, at the present day, nobody cares to inquire how a man gains his livelihood. Exclusiveness is going out of fashion, and none know that better than the aristocracy, who must needs make themselves popular if they expect to retain their influence. Some of the older gentlemen, whose backs are re

gularly ossified, may find it difficult to unbend, but the case will be different with their successors."

"You have said enough, Attie; and I don't know that even Mr Osborne could have treated the subject more luminously or better. I shall certainly wait on my Lord Windermere."

I lost no time in carrying this resolution into effect; and certainly, if anything further was required to made me ashamed of my dilatory behaviour, the kindness with which I was received would have had that effect. Lord Windermere was a handsome man, with an exceedingly courteous manner, which set me at once at my ease. He was far too well bred to show any symptoms of condescension, which I have observed some high aristocrats to display when addressing those of a rank inferior to their own; indeed, he was so evidently one of nature's nobles, that any assumption of the kind would have marred the grace and destroyed the charm of his demeanour.

Although I have the autobiographer's privilege of being egotistical, and must of necessity be so more frequently than I could wish, I have no desire to bore the reader by recounting conversations having exclusive reference_to_myself and my fortunes. Indeed, I fear that, in that respect, I have trespassed too much upon his patience; therefore I shall merely state that Lord Windermere, in a most cordial but delicate manner, expressed his desire to be of service to me in any way that lay within his power, and that I deemed it my duty frankly to relate my circumstances, position, and prospects, as already amply detailed in the foregoing chapters of my narrative. I ended by assuring his lordship that I had no favour to ask, that I had quite abandoned the idea of entering the public service, and that I really would feel grateful if, after this eclaircissement, the subject should be dropped for ever.

"And so," said Lord Windermere, "you propose, Mr Sinclair, that I should eternally remain your debtor! Do you know, my friend, that you place me thus in a very unenviable position; and yet I cannot but acknowledge that your resolution scems both

right and honourable. One remark, however, let me hazard. I think that, in speaking of your past history, you expressed some regret that you had not adopted a profession. Surely it is not too late for you to retrieve that error. You are yet a young man; and if you choose to qualify yourself for the bar, which seems to offer the best prospect of success, I can only say that whatever influence I can bring to bear on your behalf shall be most strenuously exerted. Think of this at any rate; and in the mean time let me hope that we shall often see you here. We are rather quiet people-that is, in comparison with some of my friends, who ought to be especial favourites with the London tradesmen ; still we are not altogether secluded from society, and I think I can introduce you to some people whose acquaintance may be really valuable. But first of all, you must promise to dine here to-morrow. Lady Windermere, who has gone out for the present, would never forgive me if I allowed you to depart without that pledge, and you must bring with you the noble animal that helped to rescue my dear boy. Nay, I will take no denial.”

I expressed my thanks and acceptance, and was about to depart, when Lord Windermere resumed.

"Unless you have any particular engagement, Mr Sinclair, perhaps you would remain for a few moments longer. I daresay you thought me somewhat vague in my offers of service-I am not about to renew them after what you have so distinctly said; but the fact is, for I like plain speaking, that had you wished me to use what influence I may have with the present Government in your behalf, I might have felt a difficulty in doing so. Your principles, I believe, are Conservative?"

"They are those, my Lord, which were held by the old Tory party."

Exactly; I see you don't like the new name; and, for my part, neither do I. Well, I cannot avoid the conclusion that some great political event is impending which will lead to the disunion of the Conservatives. There is no longer that confidence and cordiality between the leader and the main body of his followers, which is indispensable for the maintenance of