And presently he invited me to accompany him to a respectable sort of tavern, and solicited the honour of my having a "peg" at his expense; to which I, perceiving him to be a good-natured, simple fellow, inflated by sudden prosperity, consented, accepting, contrary to my normal habitude, his offer of a brandy panee, or an old Tom. While we were discoursing of India (concerning which I found that, like most globular trotters, he had not been long enough in the country to be accurately informed), enters a third party, who, it so happened, was an early acquaintance of my companion, though separated by the old lang sign of a longinquity. What followed I shall render in a dialogue form. The Third party: Why, TOMKINS, you have a prosperous appearance, TOMKINS. When last met, you suffered from the impecuniosity of a churched mouse. Have you made your fortune, TOMKINS? _Mr Tomkins._ I am too easy a goer, and there are too many rogues in the world, that I should ever make my own fortune, JOHNSON! Happily for me, an opulent and ancient avuncular relative has lately departed to reside with the morning stars, and left me wealth outside the dream of an avaricious! _Mr Johnson_ (_enviously_). God bless my soul! Some folks have the good luck. (_To me, whispering._) A poor ninny-hammer sort of chap, he will soon throw it away on drakes and ducks! (_Aloud, to ~Mr TOMKINS.~_) Splendid! I congratulate you sincerely. _Mr T._ (_in a tone of dolesomeness_). The heart knoweth where the shoe pinches it, JOHNSON. My lot is not a rose-bed. For my antique and eccentric relative must needs insert a testamentary condition commanding me to forfeit the inheritance, unless, within three calendered months from his last obsequies, I shall have distributed ten thousand pounds amongst young deserving foreigners. To-morrow time is up, and I have still a thousand pounds to give away! But how to discover genuine young deserving foreigners in so short a space? Truly, I go in fear of losing the whole! _Mr J._ Let me act as your _budli_ in this and distribute the remaining thousand. _Mr T._ From what I remember of you as a youth, I cannot wholly rely on your discretion. Rather would I place my confidence in this gentleman. [_Indicating myself, who turned orange with pleasure._ _Mr J._ Indeed? And how know you that he may not adhere to the entire thousand? _Mr T._ And if he does, it is no matter, if he is a genuine deserving. I can give the whole to him if I am so minded, and he need not give away a penny of it unless inclined. [_At which I was fit to dance with delight._ _Mr J._ I deny that you possess the power, seeing that he is a British subject, and as such cannot be styled a "foreigner." _Mr T._ There you have mooted a knotty point indeed. Alas, that we have no forensic big-wig here to decide it!