Roundabout Papers - Penn State University

Thackeraydare to forge your Sovereign’s name, and pass your scoundrelpewter as his silver? I wonder who you are, wretchand most consummate trickster? This forgery is so completethat even now I am deceived by it—I can’t see thedifference between the base and sterling metal. Perhapsthis piece is a little lighter;—I don’t know. A littlesofter:—is it? I have not bitten it, not being a connoisseurin the tasting of pewter or silver. I take the wordof three honest men, though it goes against me: andthough I have given two-and-sixpence worth of honestconsideration for the counter, I shall not attempt toimplicate anybody else in my misfortune, or transfermy ill-luck to a deluded neighbor.I say the imitation is so curiously successful, thestamping, milling of the edges, lettering, and so forth,are so neat, that even now, when my eyes are open, Icannot see the cheat. How did those experts, thecabman, and pikeman, and tradesman, come to find itout? How do they happen to be more familiar with pewterand silver than I am? You see, I put out of the questionanother point which I might argue without fear ofdefeat, namely, the cabman’s statement that I gave himthis bad piece of money. Suppose every cabman whotook me a shilling fare were to drive away and returnpresently with a bad coin and an assertion that I hadgiven it to him! This would be absurd and mischievous;an encouragement of vice amongst men who alreadyare subject to temptations. Being homo, I think if Iwere a cabman myself, I might sometimes stretch a furlongor two in my calculation of distance. But don’tcome twice, my man, and tell me I have given you a badhalf-crown. No, no! I have paid once like a gentleman,and once is enough. For instance, during the Exhibitiontime I was stopped by an old country-woman in black,with a huge umbrella, who, bursting into tears, said tome, “Master, be this the way to Harlow, in Essex?” “Thisthe way to Harlow? This is the way to Exeter, my goodlady, and you will arrive there if you walk about 170miles in your present direction,” I answered courteously,replying to the old creature. Then she fell a-sobbing asthough her old heart would break. She had a daughtera-dying at Harlow. She had walked already “vifty dree299