r her. When I was a boy, I used to be the playfellow in a
manner with Charley Burnet: a gay lad, sir, as ever you'd wish to see
in a summer's day, and the devil among the girls always, and that's been
the ruin of him; and as open-a-hearted fellow as ever lived. D----me!
I'd walk to the land's end to save him, if it were only for his mother's
sake, to say nothing of himself.'

'And can nothing be done?' asked the Duke.

'Why, you see, he is back in L s. d.; and, to make it up, the poor body
must sell her all, and he won't let her do it, and wrote a letter like a
prince (No room, sir), as fine a letter as ever you read (Hilloa, there!
What! are you asleep?)--as ever you read on a summer's day. I didn't
see it, but my mother told me it was as good as e'er a one of the old
gentleman's sermons. "Mother," said he, "my sins be upon my own head. I
can bear disgrace (How do, Mr. Wilkins?), but I cannot bear to see you a
beggar!"'

'Poor fellow!'

'Ay! sir, as good-a-hearted fellow as ever you'd wish to meet!'

'Is he involved to a great extent, think you?'

'Oh! a long figure, sir (I say, Betty, I've got a letter for you from
your sweetheart), a very long figure, sir (Here, take it!); I should be
sorry (Don't blush; no message?)--I should be sorry to take two hundred
pounds to pay it. No, I wouldn't take two hundred pounds, that I
wouldn't (I say, Jacob, stop at old Bag Smith's).'

Night came on, and the Duke resumed his inside place. Mr. Macmorrogh
went to sleep over his son's article; and the Duke feigned slumber,
though he was only indulging in reverie. He opened his eyes, and a
light, which they passed, revealed the countenance of the widow. Tears
were stealing down her face.

'I have no mother; I have no one to weep for me,' thought the Duke; 'and
yet, if I had been in this youth's station, my career probably would
have been as fatal. Let me assist her. Alas! how I have misused my
power, when, even to do this slight deed, I am obliged to hesitate, and
consider whether it be practicable.'

The coach again stopped for a quarter of an hour. The Duke had, in
consideration of the indefinite period of his visit, supplied himself
amply with money on repairing to Dacre. Besides his purse, which was
well stored for the road, he had somewhat more than three hundred pounds
in his notebook. He took advantage of their tarrying, to inclose it and
its contents in a sheet of paper with these lines:

'An unknown friend requests