his waistcoat.

"Right, Sir," said he, slowly, "to business. Before I begin, you must,
however, promise me, upon your honour as a gentleman, the strictest
secrecy, as to my communications."

I readily agreed to this, so far as that secrecy did not impede my
present object; and Job being content with this condition, resumed.

"You must forgive me, if, in order to arrive at the point in question, I
set out from one which may seem to you a little distant."

I nodded my assent, and Job continued.

"I have known Dawson for some years; my acquaintance with him commenced
at Newmarket, for I have always had a slight tendency to the turf. He was
a wild, foolish fellow, easily led into any mischief, but ever the first
to sneak out of it; in short, when he became one of us, which his
extravagance soon compelled him to do, we considered him as a very
serviceable tool, but one, that while he was quite wicked enough to begin
a bad action, was much too weak to go through with it; accordingly he was
often employed, but never trusted. By the word us, which I see has
excited your curiosity, I merely mean a body corporate, established
furtively, and restricted solely to exploits on the turf. I think it
right to mention this, because I have the honour to belong to many other
societies to which Dawson could never have been admitted. Well, Sir, our
club was at last broken up, and Dawson was left to shift for himself. His
father was still alive, and the young hopeful having quarrelled with him,
was in the greatest distress. He came to me with a pitiful story, and a
more pitiful face; so I took compassion upon the poor devil, and procured