It is one of my best principles, and to it I feel that I owe a considerable portion of my success, that I never allow my pride to stand in the way of my business.  The most valuable information is not unfrequently picked up in the most unlikely places, and for this reason I followed my own Jehu and his rival into the public-house in question.  The man was visibly elated by the good stroke of business he had done that night, and was inclined to be convivial.

“’e was a proper sort of bloke,” he said as we partook of our refreshment. “’e give me a fiver, ‘e did, an’ I wishes as ’ow I could meet another like ’im every day.”

“They do say as how one man’s mutton is another man’s poison,” retorted my driver, who, in spite of the entertainment he was receiving, visibly regarded the other with disfavour.  “If you’d a give us the tip, I’d ’ave ’ad my suvering.  As it is I don’t take it friendly like that you should a’ bilked us.”

“Yer can take it as yer darned well please,” said the other, as he spoke placing his glass upside down on the counter, in order to prove beyond contradiction that it was empty.  I immediately ordered a repetition, which was supplied.  Thereupon the cabman continued—­

“When I ’as a bit of business ter do yer must understand that I does it, and that no man can say as I doesn’t.  A gent gets into my keb and sez he, ‘Drive me until I tell yer to stop, and go as fast as yer can,’ sez he.  ’Take every back street yer know of, and come out somewhere Hoxton way.  I’m not partic’lar so long as I go fast, an’ I don’t git collared by the keb that’s after us.  If yer help me to give ’im the slip there’s a five-poun’ note for yer trouble.’  Well, sez I to myself, this is a proper bit of busness and there and then I sets off as fast as the old ’orse cud take us.  We turns up Southampton Street, and you turns up after us.  As we was agoin’ down ’enrietta Street I asked him to let me ‘ave a look at his five-poun’ note, for I didn’t want no Bank of Fashion or any of that sort of truck shoved into me, you’ll understand.  ’You needn’t be suspicious, Cabby,’ sez he, ’I’ll make it suverings, if you like, and half a one over for luck, if that will satisfy yer?  ’When I told him it would, he give me two poun’ ten in advance and away we went again.  We weren’t more than ’arf a mile away from here—­thank ye, sir, I don’t mind if I do, it’s cold drivin’—­well, as I was a sayin’ we wasn’t more than ’arf a mile away from here, when the gent he stands up and sez to me, ’Look here, Kebby, turn the next corner pretty sharp, and slow down at the first bye-street you come to.  Then I’ll jump out,’ ’Right yer are, guvner,’ sez I, and with that he ’ands me up the other two poun’ ten and the extry half-suvering.  I fobbed it and whipped up the old ‘oss.  Next moment we was around the corner, and a-drivin’ as if we was a trying to ketch a train.  Then we comes to a little side street, an’ I slows down.  Out ’e jumps and down he goes along a side street as if the devil was arter him.  Then I drives on my way and pulls up ’ere.  Bilked you were, guvner, and I don’t mind sayin’ so, but busness is busness, and five poun’ ten ain’t to be picked up every day.  I guess the old woman will be all there when I get ’ome to-night.”