Why, sir, the night of that there diabolical ball our Hereford Cathedral, sir, would have been blown up--blown up from the foundation, if it had not been for me, sir!" "Indeed, Mr.Verger! And pray how, and by whom, was the cathedral to be blown up?
and what was there diabolical in this ball ?" Here Mr.Hill let Mr.Marshal into the whole history of his early dislike to O'Neill, and his shrewd suspicions of him the first moment he saw him in Hereford: related in the most prolix manner all that the reader knows already, and concluded by saying that, as he was now certain of his facts, he was come to swear examinations against this villanous Irishman, who, he hoped, would be speedily brought to justice, as he deserved.
"To justice he shall be brought, as he deserves," said Mr.Marshal; "but before I write, and before you swear, will you have the goodness to inform me how you have made yourself as certain, as you evidently are, of what you call your facts ?" "Sir, that is a secret," replied our wise man, "which I shall trust to you alone;" and he whispered into Mr.Marshal's ear that, his information came from Bampfylde the Second, king of the gipsies.
Mr.Marshal instantly burst into laughter; then composing himself, said: "My good sir, I am really glad that you have proceeded no farther in this business; and that no one in Hereford, beside myself, knows that you were on the point of swearing examinations against a man on the evidence of Bampfylde the Second, king of the gipsies.

My dear sir, it would be a standing joke against you to the end of your days.

A grave man like Mr.
Hill! and a verger too! Why you would be the laughing-stock of Hereford!" Now Mr.Marshal well knew the character of the man to whom he was talking, who, above all things on earth, dreaded to be laughed at.

Mr.
Hill coloured all over his face, and, pushing back his wig by way of settling it, showed that he blushed not only all over his face, but all over his head.
"Why, Mr.Marshal, sir," said he, "as to my being laughed at, it is what I did not look for, being, as there are, some men in Hereford to whom I have mentioned that hole in the cathedral, who have thought it no laughing matter, and who have been precisely of my own opinion thereupon." "But did you tell these gentlemen that you had been consulting the king of the gipsies ?" "No, sir, no: I can't say that I did." "Then I advise you, keep your own counsel, as I will." Mr.Hill, whose imagination wavered between the hole in the cathedral and his rick of bark on one side, and between his rick of bark and his dog Jowler on the other, now began to talk of the dog, and now of the rick of bark; and when he had exhausted all he had to say upon these subjects, Mr.Marshal gently pulled him towards the window, and putting a spy-glass into his hand, bade him look towards his own tan-yard, and tell him what he saw.

To his great surprise, Mr.Hill saw his rick of bark re-built.
"Why, it was not there last night," exclaimed he, rubbing his eyes.