Again, calculating the six guinea passage-
money, and the probable duration of the passage, he remarked
pleasantly that he was getting six shillings a day for this job, 'and
it's pretty dear to the company at that.' 'They are making nothing
by me,' was another of his observations; 'they're making something by
that fellow.' And he pointed to the Devonian, who was just then busy
to the eyes.
The more you saw of Alick, the more, it must be owned, you learned to
despise him. His natural talents were of no use either to himself or
others; for his character had degenerated like his face, and become
pulpy and pretentious. Even his power of persuasion, which was
certainly very surprising, stood in some danger of being lost or
neutralised by over-confidence. He lied in an aggressive, brazen
manner, like a pert criminal in the dock; and he was so vain of his
own cleverness that he could not refrain from boasting, ten minutes
after, of the very trick by which he had deceived you. 'Why, now I
have more money than when I came on board,' he said one night,
exhibiting a sixpence, 'and yet I stood myself a bottle of beer
before I went to bed yesterday.
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