"By no means," said I, "I am utterly unacquainted with
either of you, and before parting with the horse I must be
satisfied as to the respectability of the purchaser." "Oh! as to
that matter," said he, "I have plenty of vouchers for my
respectability about me;" and thrusting his hand into his bosom
below his waistcoat, he drew out a large bundle of notes. "These
are the kind of things," said he, "which vouch best for a man's
respectability." "Not always," said I; "indeed, sometimes these
kind of things need vouchers for themselves." The man looked at me
with a peculiar look. "Do you mean to say that these notes are not
sufficient notes?" said he, "because if you do I shall take the
liberty of thinking you are not over civil, and when I thinks a
person is not over and above civil I sometimes takes off my coat;
and when my coat is off--" "You sometimes knock people down," I
added; "well, whether you knock me down or not, I beg leave to tell
you that I am a stranger in this fair, and that I shall part with
the horse to nobody who has no better guarantee for his
respectability than a roll of bank-notes, which may be good or not
for what I know, who am not a judge of such things." "Oh! if you
are a stranger here," said the man, "as I believe you are, never
having seen you here before except last night, when I think I saw
you above stairs by the glimmer of a candle--I say, if you are a
stranger, you are quite right to be cautious; queer things being
done in this fair, as nobody knows better than myself," he added
with a leer; "but I suppose if the landlord of the house vouches
for me and my notes, you will have no objection to part with the
horse to me?" "None whatever," said I, "and in the meantime the
horse can return to the stable.
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