He, therefore, did the honours as beseemed a genial and courteous old officer of the Royal Irish Artillery, who, if his conversation was not very remarkable in quality, and certainly not exorbitant in quantity, made up by listening a great deal, and supplying no end of civility, and an affluence of very pretty claret.

Mr.Justice Lowe was there, and Mr.Dangerfield, and old Colonel Bligh, of the Magazine, and honest Major O'Neill, notwithstanding his low spirits.

Perhaps they required keeping up; and claret like Colonel Stafford's is consoling.
The talk turned, of course, a good deal on Charles Nutter; and Mr.
Dangerfield, who was in great force, and, indeed, in particularly pleasant spirits, except when unfortunate Nutter was actually under discussion--when he grew grave and properly saddened--told, in his clear, biting way, a curious rosary of Newgate stories--of highwaymen's disguises--of clever constables--of circumstantial evidence, marvellously elicited, and exquisitely put together--of monsters, long concealed, drawn from the deep by the finest tackle, into upper light, and dropped deftly into the landing-net of Justice.

These curious anecdotes of Bow-street dexterity and Bagshot dodges--thrust and parry--mine and counter-mine--ending, for the most part, in the triumph of Bow-street, Justice crowned, and a Tyburn speech--tickled Lowe mightily, who quite enjoyed himself, and laughed more than his friend Colonel Stafford ever remembered to have heard him before, over some of the ingenious stratagems described so neatly by Dangerfield, and the gay irony with which he pointed his catastrophes.

And Lowe actually, having obtained Colonel Stafford's leave, proposed that gallant officer's health in a bumper, and took occasion to mention their obligations to him for having afforded them the opportunity of enjoying Mr.
Dangerfield's sprightly and instructive sallies; and hoped, with all his heart, that the neighbourhood was long to enjoy the advantage and pleasure of his residence among them.