invariably engaged rooms that possessed a "skylight." It was my
friend's business to do the burgling, and this he did by
carefully removing the glass from the skylight, being careful not
to break it; needless to say, he removed the glass from the
inside and carefully deposited it on the roof, the valuables
making their exit through the room door and down the staircase in
broad daylight.

My friend, who spoke Dutch fluently and accurately, has, I
understood, sold to English merchants whose probity was beyond
dispute the proceeds of some of his "firm's" operations. This
game went on for a time, the Parisian lady with the false hair
being one of the confederates. He disappeared, however, and I am
glad to think that for some considerable time society will be
safeguarded from the woman with the flaxen hair, and the
operations of a clever scoundrel.

I am glad to say that the number of my friends and acquaintances
who have seriously tried to "best" me form but a small proportion
of the whole. Generally they have, I believe, been animated with
good intentions, though the failure to carry them out has
frequently been manifest and deplorable.

I am persuaded that weakness is more disastrous to the world than
absolute wickedness, for nothing in the whole of my life's
experience has taken more out of me, and given me so much
heartbreaking disappointment as my continued efforts on behalf of
really well-intentioned individuals, who could not stand alone
owing to their lack of grit and moral backbone. For redemptive
purposes I would rather, a hundred times rather, have to deal