'Well,' said the fat gentleman, 'I will give you what you ask;' and sure enough he presently gave me the money; so I made a bow, and was leaving the shop, when it came into my head that there was something odd in all this, and, as I had got the money in my pocket, I turned back, and, making another bow, said, 'May I be so bold as to ask why you gave me all this money for that 'ere dirty book?
When I came into the shop, I should have been glad to get a shilling for it; but I saw you wanted it, and asked five guineas.' Then they looked at one another, and smiled, and shrugged up their shoulders.

Then the first man, looking at me, said, 'Friend, you have been a little too sharp for us; however, we can afford to forgive you, as my friend here has long been in quest of this particular book; there are plenty of editions, as I told you, and a common copy is not worth five shillings; but this is a first edition, and a copy of the first edition is worth its weight in gold.'" "So, after all, they outwitted you," I observed.
"Clearly," said the man; "I might have got double the price, had I known the value; but I don't care, much good may it do them, it has done me plenty.

By means of it I have got into an honest respectable trade, in which there's little danger and plenty of profit, and got out of one which would have got me lagged sooner or later." "But," said I, "you ought to remember that the thing was not yours; you took it from me, who had been requested by a poor old apple-woman to exchange it for a Bible." "Well," said the man, "did she ever get her Bible ?" "Yes," said I, "she got her Bible." "Then she has no cause to complain; and, as for you, chance or something else has sent you to me, that I may make you reasonable amends for any loss you may have had.

Here am I ready to make you my bonnet, with forty or fifty shillings a week, which you say yourself are capital wages." "I find no fault with the wages," said I, "but I don't like the employ." "Not like bonneting," said the man; "ah, I see, you would like to be principal; well, a time may come--those long white fingers of yours would just serve for the business." "Is it a difficult one ?" I demanded.
"Why, it is not very easy: two things are needful--natural talent, and constant practice; but I'll show you a point or two connected with the game;" and, placing his table between his knees as he sat over the side of the pit, he produced three thimbles, and a small brown pellet, something resembling a pea.

He moved the thimble and pellet about, now placing it to all appearance under one, and now under another; "Under which is it now ?" he said at last.