Hehadrunupalongbillatthealehousewhichhefrequented。andthelandlord，whogrewurgentforhismoney，refusedtogivefurthercredit。
Onenight，whenCorkscrewhaddrunkenoughonlytomakehimfretful，heleanedwithhiselbowsurlilyuponthetable，begantoquarrelwiththelandlord，andsworethathehadnotoflatetreatedhimlikeagentleman。
Towhichthelandlordcoollyreplied，Thataslongashehadpaidlikeagentleman，hehadbeentreatedlikeone，andthatwasasmuchasanyonecouldexpect，or，atanyrate，asmuchasanyonewouldmeetwithinthisworld。Forthetruthofthisassertionheappealed，laughing，toapartyofmenwhoweredrinkingintheroom。Themen，however，tookpartwithCorkscrew，and，drawinghimovertotheirtable，madehimsitdownwiththem。Theywereinhighgood-humour，andthebutlersoongrewsointimatewiththem，that，intheopennessofhisheart，hesooncommunicatedtothem，notonlyallhisownaffairs，butallthatheknew，andmorethanallthatheknew，ofhismistress’。
Hisnewfriendswerebynomeansuninterestedbyhisconversation，andencouragedhimasmuchaspossibletotalk。fortheyhadsecretviews，whichthebutlerwasbynomeanssufficientlysobertodiscover。
Mrs。Churchillhadsomefineoldfamilyplate。andthesemenbelongedtoagangofhousebreakers。BeforetheypartedwithCorkscrew，theyengagedhimtomeetthemagainthenextnight。theirintimacywasstillmorecloselycemented。OneofthemenactuallyofferedtolendCorkscrewthreeguineastowardsthepaymentofhisdebt，andhintedthat，ifhethoughtproper，hecouldeasilygetthewholeclearedoff。Uponthishint，Corkscrewbecameallattention，till，aftersomehesitationontheirpart，andrepeatedpromisesofsecrecyonhis，theyatlengthdisclosedtheirplanstohim。Theygavehimtounderstand，thatifhewouldassistinlettingthemintohismistress’house，theywouldlethimhaveanampleshareinthebooty。Thebutler，whohadthereputationofbeinganhonestman，andindeedwhoseintegrityhadhithertobeenproofagainsteverythingbuthismistress’port，turnedpale，andtrembledatthisproposal。dranktwoorthreebumperstodrownthought。andpromisedtogiveananswerthenextday。