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hereafter to sell it, I should be happy to purchase it for her. The lady who pledged it having frequently come to redeem articles left by you, I concluded from thence that she was your wife." As I was willing to be upon my guard, I answered, that my wife had indeed several rings, and it was possible he might be right in his conjecture, but I was ignorant of her having pledged such an article; that I would, however, make inquiry on the subject, and let him know the next time I saw him. Having communicated this conversation to my wife, she saw nothing extraordinary in it, as the ring was a very elegant trinket, and would naturally excite the admiration of any lady. The next day, I again called upon Turner, and told him that the ring he mentioned was the property of my wife, but at present she had no mind to part with it, and here the matter dropped.
Three or four days after this last interview, having been successful at the theatres, and my purse being replenished, I determined to redeem the ring pledged at Turner's, and taking the duplicate with me, I entered one of the private boxes as usual, from a back door in Russell-court, and calling to the shopman, produced my ticket, and desired to have the ring. The lad took the former out of my hand, and laid it on a shelf; then proceeded with the business he was before engaged in, without offering to attend to me. I thought this very odd,
