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Borrow, George Henry, 1803-1881

"The Romany Rye"

Time passed on in
a very wretched manner. Our friend the surgeon showing to us both
every mark of kindness and attention.
"It was owing to this excellent man that my innocence was
eventually established. Having been called to a town on the
borders of Yorkshire to a medical consultation, he chanced to be
taking a glass of wine with the landlord of the inn at which he
stopped, when the waiter brought in a note to be changed, saying
'That the Quaker gentleman, who had been for some days in the
house, and was about to depart, had sent it to be changed, in order
that he might pay his bill.' The landlord took the note, and
looked at it. 'A fifty-pound bill,' said he; 'I don't like
changing bills of that amount, lest they should prove bad ones;
however, as it comes from a Quaker gentleman, I suppose it is all
right.' The mention of a fifty-pound note aroused the attention of
my friend, and he requested to be permitted to look at it; he had
scarcely seen it, when he was convinced that it was one of the same
description as those which had brought me into trouble, as it
corresponded with them in two particular features, which the agent
of the bank had pointed out to him and others as evidence of their
spuriousness. My friend, without a moment's hesitation, informed
the landlord that the note was a bad one, expressing at the same
time a great wish to see the Quaker gentleman who wanted to have it
changed.


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