ughly. Sometimes he
felt himself near the wind when settling-day came, or the Jews appeared
utterly impracticable; but, as a rule, things had always trimmed
somehow, and though his debts were considerable, and he was literally as
penniless as a man can be to stay in the Guards at all, he had never in
any shape realized the want of money. He might not be able to raise a
guinea to go toward that long-standing account, his army tailor's bill,
and post obits had long ago forestalled the few hundred a year that,
under his mother's settlements, would come to him at the Viscount's
death; but Cecil had never known in his life what it was not to have a
first-rate stud, not to live as luxuriously as a duke, not to order the
costliest dinners at the clubs, and be among the first to lead all the
splendid entertainments and extravagances of the Household; he had never
been without his Highland shooting, his Baden gaming, his prize-winning
schooner among the R. V. Y. Squadron, his September battues, his
Pytchley hunting, his pretty expensive Zu-Zus and other toys, his drag
for Epsom and his trap and hack for the Park, his crowd of engagements
through the season, and his bevy of fair leaders of the fashion to
smile on him, and shower their invitation-cards on him, like a rain of
rose-leaves, as one of the "best men."

"Best," that is, in the sense of fashion, flirting, waltzing, and
general social distinction; in no other sense, for the newest of
debutantes knew well that "Beauty," though the most perfect of flirts,
would never be "serious," and had nothing to be serious with; on
which understanding he was allowed by the sex to have the run of their
boudoirs and drawing-rooms, much as if he were a little lion-dog; they
counted him quite "safe." He made love to the married women, to be
sure; but he was quite certain not to run away with the marriageable
daughters.

Hence, Bertie had never felt the want of all that is bought by and
represents money, and imbibed a vague, indistinct impression that
all these things that made life pleasant came by Nature, and were
the natural inheritance and concomitants of anybody born in a decent
station, and endowed with a tolerable tact; such a matter-of-fact
difficulty as not having gold enough to pay for his own and his stud's
transit to the Shires had very rarely stared him in the face, and
when it did he trusted to chance to lift him safely over such a social
"yawner," and rarely trusted in vain.