“When my lawyer came to hear what had occurred, and how, he lost no time in taking measures to proceed against Cutbill for a felony; but Master C. had got away, and was already hiding in Germany, and our meeting on the steamboat here was a mere hazard. He was bound for—where was it, Cutbill?”
“Albania. I want to see the salt mines. There 's something to be done there now that the Turks are not sure they 'll own the country this time twelvemonth.”
“At all events, it 's better air than Newgate,” said Jack.
“As you politely observe, sir, it's better air than Newgate. By the way, you've been doing a little stroke of work as a jailbird, latterly; is it jolly?”
“No; it ain't exactly jolly; it's too monotonous for that. And then the diet.”
“Ah, there's the rub! It's the skilly, it's the four-ounce system, I 'm afraid of. Make it a good daily regimen, and I 'll not quarrel with the mere confinement, nor ask for any extension of the time allotted to exercise.”
“I must say,” said Jack, “that, for a very acute and ingenious gentleman, this same piece of burglary was about one of the stupidest performances I ever heard of.”
“Not so fast, admiral, not so fast. I stood on a double event. I had lent Pracontal a few hundreds, to be repaid by as many thousands if he established his claim. I began to repent of my investment, and my bet was a hedge. Do you see, old fellow, if there were no books, I pocketed a hundred and fifty. If the books turned up, I stood to win on the trial. You may perceive that Tom Cutbill sleeps like a weazel, and has always one eye open.”
“Was it a very friendly part, then, to lend a man money to prosecute a claim against your own friend?” asked Jack.
“Lord love ye, I'd do that against my brother. The man of business and the desk is one thing, the man of human feelings and affections is another. If a man follows any pursuit worth the name of a pursuit, the ardor to succeed in it will soon swamp his scruples; aye, and not leave him one jot the worse for it. Listen to me a minute. Did you ever practise fly-fishing? Well, can you deny it is in principle as ignoble a thing as ever was called sport? It begins in a fraud, and it finishes with a cruelty; and will you tell me that your moral nature, or any grand thing that you fancy dignifies you, was impaired or stained when you landed that eight-pound trout on the grass?”