Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 392: what you’re looking at

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em rennet wes 02 as ne 2 ee - ee JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. a19 ST — to-morrow or next day, previous to my leaving observe that the air was keen: but he was resolute Paris.” '—or as I thought, foolishly obstinate; and there. “Tt is indeed fortunate, then,” said Mr. Dowton, | fore my friendly remonstrances were uttered all in “that I have put you upon your guard. Depend | vain. upon it you would have been robbed: for there are| “I have been thinking, Mr. Wilmot,” he said, always a number of the Parisian swell mob lurking | “ that inasmuch as the larger the sum the higher about in the neighbourhood of the banks and | the rate of exchange given, if we were to join money-exchanges. Besides, my experience of Paris | our respective amounts we should make all the enables me to give you another piece of advice. | better bargain. Here! you shall be treasurer, All those money-exchangers are a set of cheating | This bundle of notes consists exactly of eighteen rascals ; and if they get hold of an English novice, | hundred pounds: put them amongst your own they are sure to tell him that the rate of exchange | How much do you say that you have got 2” is at the moment considerably against English| “Precisely fifteen hundred,” I answered. money ;—so that for instance you might actually; “ Well, the total is three thousand three hundred lose ten or fifteen pounds—perhaps twenty or | pounds: and we shall be gainers to an extent that twenty-five—on effecting the exchange for your | is to be by no means despised.” fifteen hundred. I will tell you what Ido: In- I took out my pocket-book—opened it—and deed, I will see what I mean to do to-morrow | placed therein the roll of notes which Mr. Dowton in*the same respect.” had just given me. I naturally felt flattered by Thus speaking, Mr. Dowton drew forth his | the confidence he reposed in me, at the same time pocket-book; and examining the contents, he | that I was to a certain degree ashamed of myself, turned over a great number of notes, counting | as the conviction smote me that if he had proposed them in an audibly musing strain as he went | to become the treasurer of our respective amounts, on I should have hesitated to entrust mine to the keeping of a mere stranger. So I thought to my- self that here was another lesson which I had just received from my new friend, though he might be in reality unconscious that he was affording it: namely, that while it behoved me to be upon my guard against the machinations of swindlers, I ought not to act upon a principle of universal dis- trust and show myself suspicious of every one whom accident threw in my way. Having secured the pocket-book about my per- son, I accompanied Mr. Dowton from the hotel: we entered a hackney-coach—and he ordered the driver to take us to the Bank of France. While proceeding thither, we conversed on various and indifferent topics; and in about a quarter of an hour our destination was reached,—the coach stopping at the gateway of a large and lofty pile of buildings. We alighted; and Mr. Dowton led acquaintance. “It is merely by changing the | the way across a court-yard into an office, where money at the Bank of France. Perhaps you will ' there were only a couple of clerks to attend to come to my apartments after breakfast to-morrow | half-a-dozen persons who were waiting to transact morning; and we will go together. By the bye, | financial business. Mr. Dowton and I sat down; have you seen the Bank yet ?” and he said to me, “ When your turn comes, you “ No,” was my answer. will have to tell one of those clerks what your “Then it will afford you an excellent opportu- | business is, and desire him ¥ nity to view that establishment; and a small fee; “ But, my dearsir,” I interrupted my new friend, will obtain us admission to the bullion cellars, | “I am not sufticiently acquainted with the French where they always have millions and millions im | language to transact this business.” reserve.” * Dear me!” ejaculated Mr. Dowton in astonish. I promised to keep the appointment; and bid-| ment; “I thought you were proficient in the ding Mr. Dowton good evening I retired to my| French tongue! But as you are not, I must own chamber,—where I sat reading till bed-| manage the matter myself. Give me the bank- time. notes.”’ On the following morning, at about ten o’clock,| This I at once did, handing over to Mr. Dowton I took my pocket-book, containing the fifteen hun- | his own roll, which was tied round with a piece of dred pounds which I had received from Sir Mat-| thread, together with my own fifteen hundred thew Heseltine—and repaired to Mr. Dowton’s/ pounds) He took them—advanced up to the apartments. I found him ready to receive me:| counter—and having told them over, said some- but on observing that he had his face tied round |} thing to one of the clerks. The clerk gave him a with a black silk kerchief, I at once conjectured | reply which appeared to convey some information that he was suffering severely from the toothache, | not altogether anticipated by Mr. Dowton: for and would not therefore go out. He however as- | instead of proceeding with the business, he gathered sured me that he had made up his mind to accom- | up the bank-notes again—bowed an acknowledge pany me,—observing that he was a martyr to the | ment of the clerk’s civility—and approaching me, toothache, and that he had been suffering all night | said, “I find a little alteration has taken place in with the most violent attack, I begged him to | the mods of conducting the business since the lass “T have got, you perceive, some eighteen hun- dred pounds in Bank of England notes in this Der ase he proceeded to say; “and so far rom losing by them in making the exchange for French notes and gold, I mean to be a gainer to- morrow to the tune of at least twenty pounds. And why not? Who will thank me for letting the money-exchangers rob me? The difference will pay my hotel bill here ; and however well off a man may be, there is no harm in a prudential economy. Adhere to that maxim, my young friend.” “Indeed, Mr. Dowton,” I eried, “I shall be very much obliged to you if you will show me how to negotiate my own business, so that I may be a gainer on my fifteen hundred pounds to a propor- tionate extent that you will be on your eighteen hundred.” “With the utmost pleasure,” respozded my new a eee li esses ee eee. nani“ OO Is Oe ee men aeewe «ee ee CORNICE LO@ 5) (CO AA