“With such a gentleman as yourself, of course, a man would not stand the least chance,” continued the stranger; “especially after all I’ve put you up to; still the trick, common as it is, and extraordinary as I’ve not the least doubt it must strike a man of your discernment that it ever can succeed—still, I say, it has one thing to recommend it, which is, that the fob is perhaps, after all, about the most secure place for keeping one’s money. In crowds or lonely places, nothing is more easy than for one man to pinion the arms behind a gentleman, while another rifles his breeches-pockets; and as for carrying either a purse or a pocket-book in the coat-tails—why you might as well invest it in one of King Hudson’s railways at once! Whereas, in the fob, you see, it takes so long to get at it, that it is not possible to be extracted in that short space of time in which street-robberies require to be executed. So, if you take my advice,—the advice, I think I may say, of a person of no ordinary experience,—you will continue to keep your purse in your fob as I have placed it!” Mr. Sandboys again expressed his deepest gratitude for all the valuable information he had received, and promised to carry out the injunctions he had given him. If ever the strange gentleman’s business should lead him to visit Cumberland—though, Mr. Cursty said with a half laugh, there weren’t much call for the likes of him in that “wharter of t’ warl”—still, if ever he _should_ be coming towards Buttermere, he could only say there would always be a bed and a dish of sugar’d curds and a hearty welcome for him at Hassness. The hospitable Cursty had scarcely finished extracting a pledge from the strange gentleman to come and spend a month with him at the earliest opportunity, when the pace of the carriages began to slacken, the panting of the engine ceased, the brake was heard grating on the wheels, sending forth that peculiar odour which invariably precedes the stoppage of all railway-trains. The whistle sounded—and amidst the ringing of bells, the Sandboys and their companion reached the Preston station. Here the strange gentleman having slipped on again the several articles of disguise with which he had dispensed on entering, shook Mr. and Mrs. Cursty violently by the hands, and promising to call and see them some time or other, he made an extremely low bow to the ladies, and in a few minutes was lost in the crowd.