There was much condescension
on the part of the bounteous customer, who "would call again
in two days," and much thanking and bowing and shaking of
hands on the part of the recipients when the time came to
say "Good-day." The stores were duly sent to the docks where
the vessels were lying, but the real owners did not
recognise the person who had given the order as having any
connection with them, whereupon an unhappy dawn broke over
the minds of the unsuspecting victims. Many months elapsed
before the gentleman in question was apprehended and
confronted by the tradesmen to whom he owed a period of
blissful dissipation. Needless to say the meeting was not so
cordial as the parting, though a lack of cordiality could
not be charged against the improvised shipowner. Indeed, to
the great discomfort of his former friends, as soon as an
opportunity was given him, from his position in the
prisoners' dock, he saluted them with playful familiarity;
but this did not prevent him being sent to penal servitude.
He had played many other _roles_ under many names, but it
was as a parson he prided himself in having met with success
by the startling number of conversions that attended his
efforts.
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