Take care you don't resemble the monkey with the meal-tub. His master thrashed him when he caught him at the theft, and showed him his hands covered with meal, that he might understand the reason of his punishment. Monkey, after the next theft, took care to wash his hands, and when his master came to punish him, extended them to show how clean they were. His master smiled, and immediately brought him a looking-glass--his face and whiskers were powdered with meal: and there you have the origin of the adage, "You have washed your hands but not your face." There will still be a monitor, Eusebius, to hold the looking-glass to you, and the like of you: and look to your face; and whenever you find that you have _put a good face_ upon any doubtful matter, take the trouble then to look at your hands; and if they be clean, look again and see if your face and hands are clean together. And that will be the best _tableau-vivant_ you or any one else can study. Now, however, that conscience seems so thoroughly gone to the dogs, without any personal allusion to your case, Eusebius, I cannot resist telling you an anecdote by which you will see how Neighbour Grace of M----n ingeniously touched the conscience of Attorney B., who was supposed to have none--upon the matter of a dog-theft, and how Attorney B. was a match for Neighbour Grace. "I am come to thee, Friend B.," said Grace, "to ask thee a question. Suppose my dog should go into thy kitchen, and run off with a neck of mutton, dost thee think I ought to pay thee for the neck of mutton?" "Without doubt," said Lawyer B. "Then I'd thank thee to pay me three and fourpence; for it was thy dog stole my neck of mutton, and that's the cost of it." "Perfectly right," said Attorney B., coolly drawing out a bill and receipt. "So, Neighbour Grace, you must pay me three and fourpence, and that settles the matter." "How so?" "Why, as you asked my opinion, my charge for that is six and eightpence--deduct value of neck of mutton, three and fourpence, and just so much remains." And Lawyer B. got the best of it, and made him pay too. Now this it was to probe another's conscience, without knowing the nature of the beast you stir up; not considering that when conscience thus comes down, as it were, with "a power of attorney," it is powerful indeed--"recalcitrat undique tutus." There are many such big swelling consciences, that grow up and cover the whole man--like the gourd of Jonah, up in a night and down in a night--a fine shelter for a time from the too-searching sun; but there is a _worm_ in it, Eusebius, and it won't last.