anger's person.

"I trust not; my time is almost as precious as his own. I was not so
fortunate as to be presented to you when we met at Lord Spendquick's.
Good fellow, Spendquick; and decidedly clever."

Lord Spendquick was usually esteemed a gentleman without three ideas.

Randal smiled.

In the meanwhile the visitor had taken out a card from an embossed
morocco case, and now presented it to Randal, who read thereon, "Baron
Levy, No. ----, Bruton St."

The name was not unknown to Randal. It was a name too often on the lips
of men of fashion not to have reached the ears of an _habitue_ of good
society.

Mr. Levy had been a solicitor by profession. He had of late years
relinquished his ostensible calling; and not long since, in consequence
of some services towards the negotiation of a loan, had been created a
baron by one of the German kings. The wealth of Mr. Levy was said to be
only equalled by his good nature to all who were in want of a a
temporary loan, and with sound expectations of repaying it some day or
other.

You seldom saw a finer looking man than Baron Levy--about the same age
as Egerton, but looking younger: so well preserved--such magnificent
black whiskers--such superb teeth! Despite his name and his dark
complexion, he did not, however, resemble a Jew--at least externally;
and, in fact, he was not a Jew on the father's side, but the natural son
of a rich English _grand seigneur_, by a Hebrew lady of distinction--in
the opera. After his birth, this lady had married a German trader of her
own persuasion, and her husband had been prevailed upon, for the
convenience of all parties, to adopt his wife's son, and accord to him
his own Hebrew name. Mr. Levy, senior, was soon left a widower, and then
the real father, though never actually owning the boy, had shown him
great attention--had him frequently at his house--initiated him betimes
into his own highborn society, for which the boy showed great taste. But
when my lord died, and left but a moderate legacy to the younger Levy,
who was then about eighteen, that ambiguous person was articled to an
attorney by his putative sire, who shortly afterwards returned to his
native land, and was buried at Prague, where his tombstone may yet be
seen. Young Levy, however, continued to do very well without him. His
real birth was generally known, and rather advantageous to him in a
social point of view. His legacy enabled him to become a partner where
he had been