taxing him with the cheat he had practised on the former
occasion, wound up his lecture by stating, in true
American style, that if he again succeeded in cheating
him he would forego the amount of his tavern expenses.
The man exclaimed, “Done,” and at once
it appeared set his wits to work to obtain the object.
A few hours after the conversation, the fellow brought
in from his waggon some boxes of fancy goods, and
endeavoured to induce the landlady to purchase.
This, however, no doubt prompted by her husband, she
resolutely refused, and he had them removed to his
room upstairs, as is customary. After breakfast,
the following morning, he called the landlady aside
and said he forgot the day before to show her a fancy
quilt of superior workmanship, and if she would only
look at it he would be satisfied, as it was one of
great beauty. She consented to this, and the
man at once went to his waggon, which was now at the
door, he being about to start, and brought in a box
which contained, amongst numerous other articles,
the quilt he had been eulogizing. The landlady
was much taken with its appearance, and after some
little persuasion consented to become the purchaser.
Accordingly, the bargain was concluded, and the balance
between his tavern bill and the article in question
was handed over at the hotel bar to the pedlar, who
at once started from the house, the landlord on his
doing so jocosely remarking on the conversation of
the previous day, in reply to which the wily pedlar
observed, that “he guessed it was all right.”
Soon after the man left, the landlady called her spouse
to the inner room, and showing him her bargain, said
she had been induced to buy the quilt, because it
was an exact match for the one in the large room up-stairs.
This led to a female help (as servants are there called),
being despatched to the room to fetch and compare
the original with that newly purchased. The girl
speedily returned in the greatest consternation, saying
it had vanished. The truth now became apparent;
the artful pedlar had actually sold the landlady her
own quilt!
This ludicrous circumstance led to the confusion I
had noticed when I arrived; the man had gone they
knew not whither, and had it been possible to overtake
him, I question whether he would have been pursued,
the cleverness of the trick being highly applauded
by the company, and the landlord feeling, perhaps,
ashamed of being outwitted a second time, after himself
giving the challenge. The ingenuity of American
pedlars in cozening their countrymen, has long been
proverbial, and in general, people are wary of them;
they have, however, I suppose by long practice, become
such adepts at roguery, that however alive to their
propensities, folks are daily victimized by such men.
It was nothing new to hear a roguish action applauded,
but on this occasion the company were vociferous in
his praise, and declared they would certainly patronize
him when he came that way again, for he deserved encouragement.