rable；　and　therefore　he　despised　them。　　He　thought　he　should　like　to　go　into　the　army；　for　he　was　athletic；　and　rejoiced　in　feats　of　muscular　strength。　　To　be　tied　all　day　to　a　desk　was　beyond　endurance。　But　John　Rex；　senior；　told　him　to　〃wait　and　see　what　came　of　it。〃　He　did　so；　and　in　the　meantime　kept　late　hours；　got　into　bad　company；　and　forged　the　name　of　a　customer　of　the　bank　to　a　cheque　for　twenty　pounds。　The　fraud　was　a　clumsy　one；　and　was　detected　in　twenty…four　hours。　Forgeries　by　clerks；　however　easily　detected；　are　unfortunately　not　considered　to　add　to　the　attractions　of　a　banking…house；　and　the　old…established　firm　decided　not　to　prosecute；　but　dismissed　Mr。　John　Rex　from　their　service。　The　ex…valet；　who　never　liked　his　legalized　son；　was　at　first　for　turning　him　out　of　doors；　but　by　the　entreaties　of　his　wife；　was　at　last　induced　to　place　the　promising　boy　in　a　draper's　shop；　in　the　City　Road。
  This　employment　was　not　a　congenial　one；　and　John　Rex　planned　to　leave　it。　He　lived　at　home；　and　had　his　salaryabout　thirty　shillings　a　week　for　pocket　money。　　Though　he　displayed　considerable　skill　with　the　cue；　and　not　infrequently　won　considerable　sums　for　one　in　his　position；　his　expenses　averaged　more　than　his　income；　and　having　borrowed　all　he　could；　he　found　himself　again　in　difficulties。　　His　narrow　escape；　however；　had　taught　him　a　lesson；　and　he　resolved　to　confess　all　to　his　indulgent　mother；　and　be　more　economical　for　the　future。　Just　then　one　of　those　〃lucky　chances〃　which　blight　so　many　lives　occurred。　The　〃shop…walker〃　died；　and　Messrs。　Baffaty　&　Co。　　made　the　gentlemanly　Rex　act　as　his　substitute　for　a　few　days。　　Shop…walkers　have　opportunities　not　accorded　to　other　folks；　and　on　the　evening　of　the　third　day　Mr。　Rex　went　home　with　a　bundle　of　lace　in　his　pocket。　　Unfortunately；　he　owed　more　than　the　worth　of　this　petty　theft；　and　was　compelled　to　steal　again。　　This　time　he　was　detected。　　One　of　his　fellow…shopmen　caught　him　in　the　very　act　of　concealing　a　roll　of　silk；　ready　for　future　abstraction；　and；　to　his　astonishment；　cried　〃Halves！〃　Rex　pretended　to　be　virtuously　indignant；　but　soon　saw　that　such　pretence　was　useless；　his　companion　was　too　wily　to　be　fooled　with　such　affectation　of　innocence。　　〃I　saw　you　take　it；〃　said　he；　〃and　if　you　won't　share　I'll　tell　old　Baffaty。〃　This　argument　was　irresistible；　and　they　shared。　Having　become　good　friends；　the　self…made　partner　lent　Rex　a　helping　hand　in　the　disposal　of　the　booty；　and　introduced　him　to　a　purchaser。　The　purchaser　violated　all　rules　of　romance　by　beingnot　a　Jew；　but　a　very　orthodox　Christian。　　He　kept　a　second…hand　clothes　warehouse　in　the　City　Road；　and　was　supposed　to　have　branch　establishments　all　over　London。
  Mr。　Blicks　purchased　the　stolen　goods　for　about　a　third　of　their　value；　and　seemed　struck　by　Mr。　Rex's　appearance。　　〃I　thort　you　was　a　swell　mobsman；〃　said　he。　　This；　from　one　so　experienced；　was　a　high　compliment。　Encouraged　by　success；　Rex　and　his　companion　took　more　articles　of　value。　John　Rex　paid　off　his　debts；　and　began　to　feel　himself　quite　a　〃gentleman〃　again。　　Just　as　Rex　had　arrived　at　this　pleasing　state　of　mind；　Baffaty　discovered　the　robbery。　　Not　having　heard　about　the　bank　business；　he　did　not　suspect　Rexhe　was　such　a　gentlemanly　young　man　but　having　had　his　eye　for　some　time　upon　Rex's　partner；　who　was　vulgar；　and　squinted；　he　sent　for　him。　　Rex's　partner　stoutly　denied　the　accusation；　and　old　Baffaty；　who　was　a　man　of　merciful　tendencies；　and　could　well　afford　to　lose　fifty　pounds；　gave　him　until　the　next　morning　to　confess；　and　state　where　the　goods　had　gone；　hinting　at　the　persuasive　powers　of　a　constable　at　the　end　of　that　time。　　The　shopman；　with　tears　in　his　eyes；　came　in　a　hurry　to　Rex；　and　informed　him　that　all　was　lost。　He　did　not　want　to　confess；　because　he　must　implicate　his　friend　Rex；　but　if　he　did　not　confess　he　would　be　given　in　charge。　Flight　was　impossible；　for　neither　had　money。　　In　this　dilemma　John　Rex　remembered　Blicks's　compliment；　and　burned　to　deserve　it。　　If　he　must　retreat；　he　would　lay　waste　the　enemy's　country。　　His　exodus　should　be　like　that　of　the　Israeliteshe　would　spoil　the　Egyptians。　　The　shop…walker　was　allowed　half　an　hour　in　the　middle　of　the　day　for　lunch。　　John　Rex　took　advantage　of　this　half…hour　to　hire　a　cab　and　drive　to　Blicks。　That　worthy　man　received　him　cordially；　for　he　saw　that　he　was　bent　upon　great　deeds。　　John　Rex　rapidly　unfolded　his　plan　of　operations。　The　warehouse　doors　were　fastened　with　a　spring。　　He　would　remain　behind　after　they　were　locked；　and　open　them　at　a　given　signal。　　A　light　cart　or　cab　could　be　stationed　in　the　lane　at　the　back；　three　men　could　fill　it　with　valuables　in　as　many　hours。　　Did　Blicks　know　of　three　such　men？　Blicks's　one　eye　glistened。　　He　thought　he　did　know。　　At　half…past　eleven　they　should　be　there。　　Was　that　all？　　No。　　Mr。　John　Rex　was　not　going　to　〃put　up〃　such　a　splendid　thing　for　nothing。　　The　booty　was　worth　at　least　？；000　if　it　was　worth　a　shillinghe　must　have　？00　cash　when　the　cart　stopped　at　Blicks's　door。　　Blicks　at　first　refused　point　blank。　Let　there　be　a　division；　but　he　would　not　buy　a　pig　in　a　poke。　Rex　was　firm；　however；　it　was　his　only　chance；　and　at　last　he　got　a　promise　of　？0。　　That　night　the　glorious　achievement　known　in　the　annals　of　Bow　Street　as　〃The　Great　Silk　Robbery〃　took　place；　and　two　days　afterwards　John　Rex　and　his　partner；　dining　comfortably　at　Birmingham；　read　an　account　of　the　transactionnot　in　the　least　like　itin　a　London　paper。
  John　Rex；　who　had　now　fairly　broken　with　dull　respectability；　bid　adieu　to　his　home；　and　began　to　realize　his　mother's　wishes。　He　was；　after　his　fashion；　a　〃gentleman〃。　　As　long　as　the　？0　lasted；　he　lived　in　luxury；　and　by　the　time　it　was　spent　he　had　established　himself　in　his　profession。　　This　profession　was　a　lucrative　one。　　It　was　that　of　a　swindler。　　Gifted　with　a　handsome　person；　facile　manner；　and　ready　wit；　he　had　added　to　these　natural　advantages　some　skill　at　billiards；　some　knowledge　of　gambler's　legerdemain；　and　the　useful　consciousness　that　he　must　prey　or　be　preyed　on。　　John　Rex　was　no　common　swindler；　his　natural　as　well　as　his　acquired　abilities　saved　him　from　vulgar　errors。　He　saw　that　to　successfully　swindle　mankind；　one　must　not　aim　at　comparative；　but　superlative；　ingenuity。　　He　who　is　contented　with　being　only　cleverer　than　the　majority　must　infallibly　be　outwitted　at　last；　and　to　be　once　outwitted　isfor　a　swindlerto　be　ruined。　Examining；　moreover；　into　the　history　of　detected　crime；　John　Rex　discovered　one　thing。　　At　the　bottom　of　all　these　robberies；　deceptions；　and　swindles；　was　some　lucky　fellow　who　profited　by　the　folly　of　his　confederates。　This　gave　him　an　idea。　　Suppose　he　could　not　only　make　use　of　his　own　talents　to　rob　mankind；　but　utilize　those　of　others　also？　　Crime　runs　through　infinite　grades。　　He　proposed　to　himself　to　be　at　the　top；　but　why　should　he　despise　those　good　fellows　beneath　him？　His　speciality　was　swindling；　billiard…playing；　card…playing；　borrowing　money；　obtaining　goods；　never　risking　more　than　two　or　three　coups　in　a　year。　But　others　plundered　houses；　stole　bracelets；　watches；　diamondsmade　as　much　in　a　night　as　he　did　in　six　monthsonly　their　occupation　was　more　dangerous。　Now　came　the　questionwhy　more　dangerous？　　Because　these　men　were　mere　clods；　bold　enough　and　clever　enough　in　their　own　rude　way；　but　no　match　for　the　law；　with　its　Argus　eyes　and　its　Briarean　hands。　　They　did　the　rougher　business　well　enough；　they　broke　locks；　and　burst　doors；　and　〃neddied〃　constables；　but　in　the　finer　arts　of　plan；　attack；　and　escape；　they　were　sadly　deficient。　Good。　　These　men　should　be　the　hands；　he　would　be　the　head。　He　would　plan　the　robberies；　they　should　execute　them。
  Working　through　many　channels；　and　never　omitting　to　assist　a　fellow…worker　when　in　distress；　John　Rex；　in　a　few　years；　and　in　a　most　prosaic　business　way；　became　the　head　of　a　society　of　ruffians。　　Mixing　with　fast　clerks　and　unsuspecting　middle…class　profligates；　he　found　out　particulars　of　houses　ill　guarded；　and　shops　insecurely　fastened；　and　〃put　up〃　Blicks's　ready　ruffians　to　the　more　dangerous　work。　　In　his　various　disguises；　and　under　his　many　names；　he　found　his　way　into　those　upper　circles　of　〃fast〃　society；　where　animals　turn　into　birds；　where　a　wolf　becomes　a　rook；　and　a　lamb　a　pigeon。　　Rich　spendthrifts　who　affected　male　society　asked　him　to　their　houses；　and　Mr。　Anthony　Croftonbury；　Captain　James　Craven；　and　Mr。　Lionel　Crofton　were　names　remembered；　sometimes　with　pleasure；　oftener　with　regret；　by　many　a　broken　man　of　fortune。　　He　had　one　quality　which；　to　a　man　of　his　profession；　was　invaluablehe　was　cautious；　and　master　of　himself。　　Having　made　a　success；　wrung　commission　from　Blicks；　rooked　a　gambling　ninny　like　Lemoine；　or　secured　an　assortment　of　jewellery　sent　down　to　his　〃wife〃　in　Gloucestershire；　he　would　disappear　for　a　time。　　He　liked　comfort；　and　revelled　in　the　sense　of　security　and　respectability。　　Thus　he　had　lived　for　three　years　when　he　met　Sarah　Purfoy；　and　thus　he　proposed　to　live　for　many　more。　With　this　woman　as　a　coadjutor；　he　thought　he　could　defy　the　law。　She　was　the　net　spread　to　catch　his　〃pigeons〃；　she　was　the　well…dressed　lady　who　ordere