A London Adventure:

to be able to SIIOAV that my uncle s will has been complied with , ancl that I 'aven't spent money that did ' nt belong to me . " HOAV the bait took ! AVhose benevolence Avould not have snapped at it ? Is it in human nature on its travels to let such

golden opportunities slip ? Ancl Avould it not instantly occur to one that if this fool and his money must part so soon , that it Avas the duty of an honest man to see to it that the money went into the proper channels ? '' And I too" said Inot without a

feel-, , ing of shame , as if I ivas about to be in some way a party to the robbery of this simpleton ; " I , too , will bear your alms to some of the poor of my country , and see that they are judiciously bestowed . " " What poor have you in your country ?"

said he . "Plenty of them , " said I , — " the freedmen , for instance , whom I see much of , and who are much in need of help . ' " All right , " said he . " Satisfy me that you have money of your own ancl do not

need mine , and you shall have a hundred pounds . " " I carry no money Avith me , " I replied , " and you will have to come round to my hotel . "

" Neither have I a hundred pounds , " said my companion , " but I have some , I hardly know how much , " ancl he proceeded to take out and unroll some Bank of England notes .

" Show him what you have , " said he to me , significantly ; "don't let him think you are penniless . " "Oh , I have only a little change , " I said , " not more than two guineas in all , " and with embarrassment I produced it in my open palm .

" Put up your money , gentlemen , " said the verdant . " I have no doubt you are both responsible men , and can easil y satisfy me that you are fit persons to act as my agonts in this matter . " " Come to my hotel , " said the German , and I can show you five times the amount , or to my banker , whose place is near here . "

" Yes , " I joined in , " meet us this afternoon or this evening at my hotel , and Ave Avill show you that we are all ri ght . " _ " No , I must leave town to-night : me sister Mary will be expecting me . "

" Then , " suggested the German , " let ' s arrange it now . AVhere do you need to go , " he inquired of me , "to get the money . " "To my hotel ancl to my bankers , both , " I said . " Where is your banker V " On Lombard Street . "

" Well , that Avill suit me , too , as I know a banker there , and can get all the money I need . " The Englishman would pledge us in another glass before we started , though I barely tasted my ale , the two glasses I had already imbibed having had a very strange effect upon me .

" Here is a sovereign , he said , "to pay for the cab ; this is to accomodate me , ancl I insist upon paying . " The German took tho gold , called a cab , and wo ivere off , it being agreed that the Englishman should Avait there till

Ave returned . " It is the most astonishing performance I ever heard of , " said I . " Can it be possible that such a fool can be at large twenty-four hours in London Avithout being robbed ?"

" He runs a great risk , " said my companion , " " ancl we had better keep an eye on him till he starts for home , or else telegraph to Alary to come and look after him . "

I found my banker , a man who had known me long and intimately in this country , in his private office , and I spread out my adventure before him in . the most animated style . I felt it necessary to do this because I Avanted to ask the loan of £ 50 for a few hoursbut before I had got

, to that point , he said he could let me have the money if I did not happen to have it by me ; it was by all means my duty to accept the offer the stranger had made , etc ., etc . He called his partner , a native Londoner , ancl related the singular

circumstance to him ; he opened his eyes very wide but said little . As 1 ivas leaving , my banker said : " You don ' t suppose this an attempt to rob you , do you !'' " Oh , no , " said I , " that is out of the question . " When I regained the cab , my companion was not there ; I supposed he had not