No place can be found where the study of ways and means is more closely attended to than this.

Of our prisons in general, much the same may be said as of our gaming houses; very few get out of them as they went in.

A dupe is the general character of those who first enter; but they seldom fail to acquire that of knave before their departure.

The air is infectious, the society fatal to morality and to honesty; few pass through the ordeal with purity, and return uncontaminated to the world; and yet, after all the frauds, tricks, and speculations practised, it is well to be acquainted with them, in order to guard against the recurrence, if a man can but have fortitude enough to avoid practising them himself.~56~~ "Think not that the action of the place Is all revealed upon this open space; The darkest portion of the picture lies Obscur'd and cover'd up from public eyes; Here much you see, that bids you all mistrust, Much that provokes aversion and disgust; New friends, who coolly ask a one pound note, Or borrow for an hour, then pawn, your coat.
Such stuff as this upon the surface swims; He little sees who but the surface skims.
How much of fraud and finished wickedness, How much of deep despair and keen distress, Thought of by few, and seen by none, the while, Is chamber'd in the niches of this pile!" "Zounds," cried Dashall, "your pictures have so much light and shade, so much to admire, and so much to condemn, that there is scarcely any possibility of arriving at any conclusion .-- Bless me, there is Dick Rakewell!" "Do you know him ?" said Merry well.
"What the devil are you doing here ?" cried a young man advancing, and at the same time catching the Honourable Tom Dashall by the hand; "Are you initiated, or merely come to take a peep at the curiosities of this menagerie?
Have you tipp'd and shewn yourself in due form; or do you still sport a game leg among the gallants of Bond Street ?" "Fortunately," said Dashall, "I can still boast of the latter, and have no very strong inclination to aspire to all the honour and happiness of the former." "Grown serious and sedate; I suppose married, and ca'nt come--pretty wife--lots of children--love and fireside comfort at home--pleasure abroad--cash in hand, and care for nobody.

That's the sort--give you joy with all my heart--never were such times." "I am glad you find them so," continued Tom; "but your anticipations are a little too rapid, and your imagination rather too vivid for my proceeding; however, there is no knowing what we may come to; life is a labyrinth full of turnings and windings.