most solemn word of honour that I would never play
again. Mr. Middleton's letter was not only stern, it was also
contemptuous; and had I then been able to devise any mode of
extricating myself from my difficulties, I would have refused
the money and the promise exacted from me; but it was vain to
seek for any such; and with feelings more wounded than
grateful, I gave the promise required. _How_ I kept it, you
have seen; and now you can understand that I would sooner have
fled to America, and never shown my face in England again,
than have turned to Mr. Middleton for aid or assistance. To my
father it would have been useless to apply; he has, as you
know, no income but what he derives from the Navy Pay
Office--"

Here Henry paused, and drew a long breath as if to gain
courage to proceed. He went to the door of the next room to
ascertain if Alice was still fast asleep; and, having done so,
he again sat down by my side, and went on with his history:--

"At about six o'clock on the day on which I had pledged myself
to pay my debts, after several hours of weary pacing up and
down the dusty and sultry streets, in which I had met with
several acquaintances, who had turned their heads away when
they saw me coming, I walked into my father's office and found
him dressed for dinner, with his hat and his gloves in his
hand, and a strong expression of impatience in his
countenance.

"'Oh, how-do-you-do, Henry, my boy,' he said as I came in, 'Do
you know, my dear fellow, you could do me a great kindness. I
had appointed the chief clerk to be here at half-past six upon
business, quite forgetting that I was engaged to dine and
sleep at Percy Cross. Now, if you have nothing particular to
do and could wait for him here, I should still be in time for
dinner.'

"'But what is the business to be done?' I asked, and threw
myself at full length on one of the benches of the office. 'Am
I competent to perform it?'

"'It only consists in unlocking that drawer,' he replied, 'and
putting into his hands bank-notes to the amount of L5,000,
which are wanted for some payments to be made to-morrow
morning. There is nobody here at this moment with whom I
should like to leave this key; but if you can stay--'

"'Oh I can stay; I have nothing to do.'

"'I held out my hand for the key, put it in my pocket, wished
my father good-night, and returned to my pleasant meditations.
I had been alone for about a quarter of an hour, when the
porter of t