Listening to the conversation of our friend, we did not detect that our "whip" was following up an old plan laid down by cabmen from time immemorial to fleece uninformed strangers-by taking a roundabout course to the point of destination. We noticed that, instead of turning to the left at Regent Circus, he drove sharply to the right into Oxford Street, and was threading his way very comfortably among the broughams and curricles that were stopping up the fronts of the mercer shops of that beautiful thoroughfare. As we had a semi-inclination to ascertain what distance the fellow would take us out of the way, and at the same time retaining no positive recollection of ever having been taken for a verdant one before, joined with a desire to inform our compatriot of the modes of defrauding strangers, we resolved, as the boys say, to "see it out," and patiently awaited his next move. We soon gained Tottenham Court Road, through which we were idly dragged to Bedford Square, and, to make a long story short, in the end we found ourselves again at the Regent's Circus, in the proper line for Bayswater. This was such a gross insult, even to our presumed ignorance, that on arriving again at the Circus we ordered a halt.

"How is this, driver ?" asked we; "this is twice we've been at this place. This is going it too strong. What do you mean, sirrah ?"

"Twice here!" said the sneak, his eyes turned upwards, and affecting to utter a laugh of derision. "Vy, bless your soul, you never vas so mistaken in your life. There's two places just alike, and this is the second von. Vy you must be strangers in the city."

Taken aback by this master-stroke of audacity, we once more sank into the cab, resolved that after we had finished our jaunt we would pay him off in his own coin. In another fifteen minutes the vehicle stood in front of our lodgings.

Descending, Jonathan was diving to the bottom of an old blue stocking, which served as a purse, and vainly endeavouring

to fish from somewhere in the neighborhood of the toes the six shillings, demanded, in the first instance, by the driver.

We motioned our friend to put up his stocking, which he did, laying it carefully in his hat.

"Bad place to carry money," said we apart.

"O no, sir, I'm as keerful as ken be. Ain't as keerful as poor old Betsy Sammons of Piscataqua though; she's never had but one five-dollar gold piece in her life, and she's so afraid somebody 'll take it from her, that she sleeps with it in her mouth."

"Fare, gen'lm'n, please," said the cabman, impatiently. "It's a long way up here, and my stand's down at Woodford, you

see.

"Young man," said we sturdily, "descend from that box." "Sir ?"

"Get down—I want to have a moment's private conversation with you.'

"Yes, sir ;" and not suspecting what was in store for him, he descended with wonderful alacrity.

"Now, sir," said we.

"Yes, sir !"-with a touch of the hat.

"Do you know what I think of you?"

Suspecting now, from our manner, that all was not right, he assumed that air of insolent defiance, which only cabmen can assume it being a part and parcel of their avocation-and said:

"I don't care vot you thinks hof me; I vants my fare." "And what is your fare ?"

"Six shillins; but as you seem scrusty I'll take five and tup'ence"-twisting his little sneaking pigtail locks.

"Will you, indeed ?"

"Yes, master."

"Your legitimate fare is two shillings, but there's a halfcrown," and we proffered the coin; at which he turned aside and flicked a cork from the curb with his whip.

"Will you take it ?"

“I vants five shillings. There now, master, it's a good longish distance," said he, slightly softening his tone, which the dim form of a policeman in the distance we found occasioned.

Then placing a quantity of silver in our hand, and extending it towards him, we remarked, keeping one eye on the functionary in blue and the other on the money-"Take your fare. You know pretty nearly what it ought to be, so help yourself." And glancing aside to ascertain the relative position of the policeman with himself, who by this time was close to his elbow, Cabby drew himself up, and with a contorted smirk of features doggedly picked out two bright shillings, flicked his whip again, and uttering something touching a "shabby do," in a snappish half-suppressed tone, sneaked to his perch and turned the head of his "steed" cityward grunting anathemas all the while.

"Ha! ha! ha!" fairly roared Jonathan, flouncing his umbrella in the air, and dancing about the pavement; " I'm powerful glad you gave that feller as good as he sent. If I'd been alone he'd a argu'd me out of six shillin's juist as sure as aiggs."

CHAPTER II.

JONATHAN'S ADVENTURE AT REGENT'S-PARK.

As if good fortune had anticipated our wishes, we found a cheerful fire crackling, with its merry torches of grotesque flame; and ere many moments had sped, our Yankee friend and self were tête-à-tête before it. The first "demonstration" on his part was to deposit his large bell-crown hat immediately on top of the chiffonier, in doing which he upset an inkstand, and its long black streams running playfully and innocently down upon the carpet, settled into shining little pools, much to our silent

horror. This act unconsciously performed, he deposited his feet on the back of the ottoman, resting the major part of his body in an elbow-chair. The next " object of interest" that greeted our bewildered sight was full two yards of pigtail tobacco, which he slowly unwound from a cotton-reel, and then, giving it a gentle shake, proceeded to wind it up again, first diminishing its length by three and a-half inches, the result of a single application to his dentals. We observed him looking wistfully around the apartment for something in the vessel form, and a spittoon soon made him comfortable on this score.

"I forgot to ask you, Mr. Homebread: how long have you been in England ?"

"Let me see," replied he, hitching his odoriferous trowsers, and gazing at a picture of Carlotta Grisi as "Giselle," over the mantel-shelf. "By gravy, that's a smackin' poorty gal! who is she some creeter of quality ?" and, arising, he spelled the label. "Oh, a theatre woman! Them theatre folks are high critters, I'm told. I don't see how on earth they ever git themselves intew sich laces and things. I should bust more muzlin, if I wuz to dress up so, than ud fit up a store." Then, suddently remembering that we asked him a question, he continued, "Railly I beg your pardon-you wanted to know how long I'd been in England. Over three weeks."

"As long as that?" said we surprised. "Oh, I thought you had but just arrived. You have been around to see the 'lions,' I suppose ?"

"Y-as, I calculate na-ow I hev a bit. Saw 'em the second day I got here, at the wild-beast show in the Zully-ogical Gardens at Regent's-park. Got a dreadful crowd of beasts thar !"

It was evident that Jonathan was so perseveringly and unaffectedly literal that we would have to shape our observations in accordance with his conception. He pursued the same subject, and we did not care to interrupt him.

"I never seed sich a lot of tigers and nelephants and

highekneez in all my born days. I used to think our travelling caravans were 'considerable vegetables,' but they can't stand up to the ruck with this-no ha-ow? I got intew the monkeyroom, and thar I had a dreadful heap of fun with a big ape that I fed with chesnuts. You see, I bought a penn'orth afore I went in to feed the critters with, as I like to take notice of dumb animals. Well, this ape and me got tew bein' dreadful thick, and he kept stuffin' his jaws so full that they bulged out till I thought to Jehu they'd bust! Then he made all kinds of funny motions, and wanted more, so I gave a boy that was standin' near me a half-crown-for I hadn't any smaller change, tew go out an' git me another penn'orth of chesnuts. Well, ef I waited ten minutes, I must hev waited tew hours for that dratted boy; and may I be singed if I ever saw anything since of either boy or half-crown tew this minit! There was one half-crown gone to nowhere at my expense; but as I got so kind'le interested, somehow nor other, in that ape, I went out myself determined to give him another good feed before I left. I went out through the turn-around kind o' gate, thinkin' the man id remember me; and when I went to go back agin, doged if I didn't have to pay another shillin'.

"Well, back I went, paid the shillin', and soon found my old ape; and if you'll bleve me, when he saw me comin', he riz rite up on his hind-paws, and fairly laffed like a human bein'. Of course I 'preciated this attachment; and in a few minutes I found he was so tame, he'd eat out of my fingers. Some slick-looking chap, with a glass on his eye, come up, and said to me, 'You better be careful what you are about, sir, or it'll nip your fingers.' I turned around and said, 'I'm much obleeged to yeou all the same; but him and me understand each other better than you think for. I been feeden' him these tew hours; and monkeys ar'nt as ungrateful as mankind.' Then he squinted his eye at another gawky-looking chap in soldier' clothes, with whiskers cut like mutton-chops, and, askin' me if I'd sell my hat, they both went off laffin fit to kill themselves. What they