flourish with his stick, as if he would include the air and water, generally, in this remark.
"Really," said Martin, "I don't know. Yes. I think I was."
The gentleman glanced at him with a knowing look, and said he liked his policy. It was natural, he said, and it pleased him as a philosopher to observe the prejudices of human nature.
"You have brought, I see, sir," he said, turning round towards Martin, and resting his chin on the top of his stick, "the usual amount of misery and poverty, and ignorance and crime, to be located in the bosom of the Great Republic. Well, sir! let 'em come on in ship-loads from the old country: when vessels are about to founder, the rats are said to leave 'em. There is considerable of truth, I find, in that remark."
"The old ship will keep afloat a year or two longer yet, perhaps," said Martin with a smile, partly occasioned by what the gentleman said, and partly by his manner of saying it, which was odd enough, for he emphasized all the small words and syllables in his discourse, and left the others to take care of themselves: as if he thought the larger parts of speech could be trusted alone, but the little ones required to be constantly looked after.
"Hope is said by the poet, sir," observed the gentleman, "to be the nurse of Young Desire."
Martin signified that he had heard of the cardinal virtue in question serving occasionally in that domestic capacity.
"She will not rear her infant in the present instance, sir, you'll find," observed the gentleman.
"Time will show," said Martin.
The gentleman nodded his head, gravely; and said " What is your name, sir?"
Martin told him.
"How old are you, sir?"
Martin told him.
"What's your profession, sir!"
Martin told him that, also.
"What is your destination, sir?" inquired the gentleman.
"Really," said Martin, laughing, "I can't satisfy you in that particular, for I don't know it myself."
"Yes?" said the gentleman.
"No," said Martin.
The gentleman adjusted his cane under his left arm, and took a more deliberate and complete survey of Martin than he had yet had leisure to make. When he had completed his inspection, he put out his right hand, shook Martin's hand, and said:
"My name is Colonel Diver, sir. I am the Editor of the New York Rowdy Journal."
Martin received the communication with that degree of respect which an announcement so distinguished appeared to demand.
"The New York Rowdy Journal, sir," resumed the colonel, "is, as I expect you know, the organ of our aristocracy in this city."
"Oh! there is an aristocracy here, then?" said Martin. "Of what is it composed?"
