 Hibernian hero was one of those people who are called
fortune-hunters) fell into the hands of a certain female author, famous for the
scandal she has published; who, after having embellished them with some
ornaments of her own invention, gave them to the town in print. - I was very
much shocked on reflecting, that I might possibly be the occasion of a whole
family's unhappiness, on account of the letter I had written; but was eased of
that apprehension, when I understood that the Chelsea apothecary had commenced a
law-suit against the printer for defamation; and looked upon the whole as a
piece of forgery, committed by the author, who had disappeared. - But whatever
might be his opinion of the matter, our two ladies seemed to entertain a
different idea of it; for, as soon as the pamphlet appeared, I could perceive
their care of their patient considerably diminish, until at last it ended in
total neglect. - It was impossible for him to be ignorant of this change, any
more than of the occasion of it; but as he was conscious to himself of having
deserved worse than contempt at their hands, he was glad to come off so cheaply,
and contented himself with muttering curses and threats against the apothecary,
who (as he imagined) having got an inkling of the appointment with his wife, had
taken revenge of him in the manner described. - By that time he had got a new
scarf skin, his character was become so notorious, that he thought it high time
for him to decamp; which he performed one night without beat of drum, after
having robbed his own servant of every thing that belonged to him except the
cloaths he had on his back. - A few days after he disappeared, Mr. Lavement, for
his own security, took into custody a large old trunk which he had left; and as
it was very heavy, made no question of the contents being sufficient to
indemnify him for what Odonnel owed in lodging. - But a month being elapsed
without hearing any tidings of this adventurer; and my master being impatient to
know what the trunk contained; he ordered me to break it open in his presence,
which I performed with the pestle of our great mortar, and discovered, to his
inexpressible astonishment and mortification, a heap of stones.
    About this time, my friend Strap informed me of an offer he had to go abroad
with a gentleman in quality of valet de chambre, and at the same time assured
me, that whatever advantage he might propose to himself from this prospect, he
could
