es," said
Big Jack.

("Order!" from Pax.)

"When is he to give it?" asked one.

"Won't fix the time just yet," said Phil.

"What's his subject?" asked another.

"Can't say; not yet decided."

With this uncertainty as to time and subject the association was obliged
to rest content, and thereafter the meeting was dissolved.

We are grieved to be obliged to state that the society thus hopefully
commenced came to a premature close at an early period of its career,
owing to circumstances over which its members had no control.

Some time before that sad event occurred, however, Solomon Flint
delivered his discourse, and as some of the events of that memorable
evening had special bearing on the issues of our tale, we shall recur to
it in a succeeding chapter.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN.

GEORGE ASPEL RECEIVES VARIOUS VISITORS AT THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SHOP, AND
IS CALLED TO VIGOROUS ACTION.

As long as a man retains a scrap of self-respect, and struggles, from
any motive whatever, against his evil tendencies, his journey to
destruction is comparatively slow; but when once he gives way to
despair, assumes that he has tried his best in vain, and throws the
reins on the neck of his passions, his descent into the dark abyss is
terribly rapid.

For a time George Aspel was buoyed up by hope. He hoped that May
Maylands might yet come to regard him with favour, though she studiously
avoided giving him ground for such hope. He also continued, though
faintly, to hope that Sir James Clubley might still think of fulfilling
his promises, and, in pursuance of that hope, frequently inquired
whether any letters had been left for him at the hotel where he first
put up on arriving in London. But, when both of these hopes forsook
him, and he found himself in what he deemed the ridiculous position of
shopman to a bird-stuffer, without an influential friend in the great
city, or the slightest prospect of improving his condition, he gave way
to despair.

Before quite giving way, however, he made several attempts to obtain
work more suited to his tastes and acquirements, in which efforts he was
heartily seconded by Mr Enoch Blurt; but Enoch was about as unknown in
London as himself, so that their united efforts failed.

In these circumstances the ambitious youth began to regard himself as a
martyr to misfortune, and resolved to enjoy himself as he best might.
With a view to this he spent his evenings in places of amusement, with
compani