158 ANOTHER OLD ACQUAINTANCE.

After this, Williams changed his lodgings, and did
not in future allow his letters to come to his resi-
dence. Early in the next year he removed from
Paris to Vienna.

On the second day of their being in this city, and
whilst yet at the inn, one of those singular coinci-
dences occurred which are by no means as unfrequent
as some persons imagine. They dined, as is custom-
ary, in a public room, where many persons were
dining at separate tables. A party of gentlemen sat
at a table beside them ; they were English, and were
ta king loudly. One of them was a Mr. Burndale, of
London, a banker, and the conversation was about
forgeries, when Mr. Burndale was appealed to.

** By the bye, Burndale,” said one of the gentlemen,
“is it true that that fellow, Edwards, whom you
transported some sixteen or eighteen years ago, for a
forgery on your bank, is come back, and has opened
some sort of eating-house or tavern at the West End 2?”

Long before thus much had been said, Williams
felt as if the soup which he was eating would choke
him. His wife, too, had heard what was said, and
was almost as much agitated as himself ; for she knew
that this was the man with whom her brothers had
connected her husband.

“Are you not well, love,” said she, tenderly ;
“shall we leave the room ?”

He was not unwell, he said hastily, and called for,
wine, and the gentlemen went on: “ Yes, it was
quite true; he was come back; somebody had
advanced him money, and he had actually opened a
tavern or gaming-house, or something of the kind ; it
was astonishing,” they said, “how some people got,
on through life.”