e heir
in prospect of an immense fortune. It came out that he was the son of
a prosperous fishmonger in the city.

He was a fat, good-humoured fellow, expensively dressed, and clean,
being in all these points an exception among Ned's acquaintances.
Madge found him, as a mere acquaintance, more amusing than
intolerable; but as a possible husband, not to be thought of save with
laughter and contempt.

Her refusal to consider him in the desired light, made Ned very wroth;
and in revenge he went out, and, between drink and gaming, rid himself
of every penny he possessed. He thereupon begged that Madge would let
him pawn some of her jewelry. She refused to do so; until their
landlady threatened ejection and suit.

After that, matters went from bad to worse. With part of the money
obtained upon what trinkets she gave him, Ned tried to repair his
fortunes at the gaming-table; and that failing, he consoled himself in
drunkenness. More of her valuables were demanded; yielded up after
terrible quarrels with Ned, and humiliating scenes with the landlady.
The visits to the play ceased, the maid was discharged, the
hairdresser was no more brought into requisition. Their fall to
destitution was worthy of the harebrained design, the bungling
conduct, of Ned; the childish inexperience, the blind confidence, of
Madge. 'Twas a fall as progressive as a series of prints by Hogarth.
The brother was perpetually in liquor; he no longer took Madge out
with him. Often he stayed away nights and days at a time.

She resolved to entrust nothing further to him, but to dispose of her
ornaments herself, and to devote the proceeds to necessities alone, as
he had wasted them in drink and gaming. When she acted upon this
resolution, he behaved like a madman. Fearful quarrels ensued. He
blamed her for defeating his plans, she upbraided him for alluring her
to London. Recriminations and threats filled the hours when he was
with her; loneliness and despondency occupied the periods of his
absence. Finally, while she slept, he robbed her of money she had got
upon a bracelet; then of some of the jewelry itself. She dared no
longer sleep soundly, lest he might take away her last means of
subsistence. She was in daily and nightly terror of him.

She made up her mind, at last, to flee to some other part of the town,
and hide from him; that her few resources left might be devoted to
herself alone, and thus postpone the day of destruction to the
furthest po