The success of this guinea wager put the friend upon telling a story of a wager of Sheridan's which was much talked of at the time, and ran thus:-- George the Fourth, when Prince of Wales, used occasionally to spend certain hours of the day in gazing from the windows of a club-house in St. James's-street:--of course he was always surrounded by some of his chosen companions, and among these Sheridan, who was then the Drury Lane lessee, was ever first and foremost. The Prince and Sheridan in these idle moments had frequently remarked among the passers backwards and forwards, a young woman who regularly every day carried through the street a heavy load of crockery-ware, and who, the Prince frequently remarked, must be possessed of very great strength and dexterity to be able to bear so heavy a burden with so much apparent ease, and to carry it in the midst of such a crowd of passengers without ever stumbling. One morning, as usual, she made her appearance in the street from Piccadilly, and Sheridan called the Prince's attention to the circumstance. "Here she is," said Sheridan. "Who?" inquired the Prince. "The crockery-girl," replied Sheridan; "and more heavily laden than ever." "Not more so than usual, I think," said the Prince. "Pardon me, your Highness, I think I'm right. Oh, dear me, yes! it's decidedly a larger basket, a much larger basket," replied Sheridan. "Good God, she staggers under it! Ah! she has recovered herself. Poor girl, poor girl!" The Prince had watched the girl very closely, but the symptoms of exhaustion which Sheridan had so feelingly deplored were nevertheless quite invisible to him. "She will certainly fall," continued Sheridan, in a low abstracted tone; "that girl will fall down before she reaches this house." "Pooh, pooh!" said the Prince. "_She_ fall!--nonsense! she is too well used to it." "She will," said Sheridan. "I'll bet you a cool hundred she does not," replied the Prince. "Done!" cried Sheridan. "Done!" repeated his Royal Highness. The point of the story is, that the girl _did fall down just before she reached the club-house_. It was very likely an accident, inasmuch as people seldom fall down on purpose, especially when they carry crockery; but still there were not wanting some malicious persons who pretended to trace the tumble to another source. At all events, it was a curious coincidence, and a strong proof of the accuracy of Sheridan's judgment in such matters, any way.