ything, Anna Maria. He knows the whole affair; no use
in boring him with any more. I say, isn't he grown prodigiously? And a
captain already,--just think of that."

"And so, sir, you've heard of the sad predicament his folly has brought
us into?"

"Hush, hush, Anna Maria!" cried Bubbleton; "no nonsense, old girl. Burke
will put all to rights; he's aide-de-camp to Murat, and dines with him
every day,--eh, Tom?"

"What if he be?" interrupted the lady, without permitting me time to
disclaim the honor. "How can he ever--"

"I tell you, it's all arranged between us; and don't make a fuss about
nothing. You 'll only make bad worse, as you always do. Come, Tom; the
secret is, I shall be ruined if I don't get back to England soon. Heaven
knows who receives my dividends all this time. Then that confounded
tin mine! they 've mismanaged the thing so much I haven't received five
hundred pounds from Cornwall since this time twelve months."

"That you haven't," said the lady, as with clasped hands and eyes fixed
she sat staring at the little stove with the stern stoicism of a martyr.

"She knows that," said Bubbleton, with a nod, as if grateful for even so
much testimony in his favor. "And as for that scoundrel, Thistlethwait,
the West India agent, I've a notion he's broke; not a shilling from him
either."

"Not sixpence," echoed the lady.

"You hear that," cried he, overjoyed at the concurrence. "And the fact
is,--you will smile when I tell you, but upon my honor it's true,--I am
actually hard up for cash."

The idea tickled him so much, and seemed so ludicrous withal, that he
fell back on the sofa, and laughed till the tears ran down his face. Not
so Miss Bubbleton: her grim face grew more fixed, every feature hardened
as if becoming stone, while gradually a sneer curled her thin lip; but
she never spoke a word.

"I'll not speak of the annoyance of being out of England, nor the loss
of influence a man sustains after a long absence," said Bubbleton, as he
paced the room with his hands deep thrust in his dressing-gown pockets.
"These are things one can feel; and as for me, they weigh more on my
mind than mere money considerations."

"But, General," said I--

"General!" echoed the lady with a start round, and holding up both her
hands,--"General! You have n't been such a fool,--it's not possible you
could be such a fool--"

"Will you please to be quiet, old damsel?" said Bubbleton, with more of
harshness than he had y