in iron, and had the face been perfectly composed, must have given to it
a remarkably stern and sinister appearance; but at that moment, there was
an arch leer about the mouth, which softened, or at least altered, the
expression the features habitually wore.

"Sir," said he, (after a few minutes of silence,) "Sir," said he,
approaching me, "will you do me the honour to take a pinch of snuff?" and
so saying, he tapped a curious copper box, with a picture of his late
majesty upon it.

"With great pleasure," answered I, bowing low, "since the act is a
prelude to the pleasure of your acquaintance."

My gentleman of the gin-shop opened his box with an air, as he replied--
"It is but seldom that I meet, in places of this description, gentlemen
of the exterior of yourself and your friends. I am not a person very
easily deceived by the outward man. Horace, Sir, could not have included
me, when he said, specie decipimur. I perceive that you are surprised at
hearing me quote Latin. Alas! Sir, in my wandering and various manner of
life, I may say, with Cicero and Pliny, that the study of letters has
proved my greatest consolation. 'Gaudium mihi,' says the latter author,
'et solatium in literis: nihil tam laete quod his non laetius, nihil tam
triste quid non per hos sit minus triste.' God d--n ye, you scoundrel,
give me my gin! ar'n't you ashamed of keeping a gentleman of my fashion
so long waiting?" This was said to the sleepy dispenser of the spirituous
potations, who looked up for a moment with a dull stare, and then
replied, "Your money first, Mr. Gordon--you owe us seven-pence halfpenny
already."

"Blood and confusion! speakest thou to me of halfpence! Know that thou