THE ATTACHE; OR SAM SLICK IN ENGLAND.




CHAPTER I.

THE NOSE OF A SPY

"Squire." said Mr. Hopewell, "you know Sam well enough,
I hope, to make all due allowances for the exuberance of
his fancy. The sketch he has just given you of London
society, like the novels of the present day, though
founded on fact, is very unlike the reality. There may
be assemblages of persons in this great city, and no
doubt there are, quite as insipid and absurd as the one
he has just pourtrayed; but you must not suppose it is
at all a fair specimen of the society of this place. My
own experience is quite the reverse. I think it the most
refined, the most agreeable, and the most instructive in
the world. Whatever your favourite study or pursuit may
be, here you are sure to find well-informed and enthusiastic
associates. If you have merit, it is appreciated; and
for an aristocratic country, that merit places you on a
level with your superiors in rank in a manner that is
quite incomprehensible to a republican. Money is the
great leveller of distinctions with us; here, it is