--to, in
short, make formal proposals for their hands."

There was another soft cough, and Vanleigh continued--

"I hope I am forgiven, Landells, for my awkward way?"

"Yes. Pray go on; capital," said Landells, who was perspiring
profusely.

"It is only fair to say how we are placed in the world, Sir Hampton. My
friend there, Sir Felix, has his eight thousand per annum; and it will
increase. For myself, I am but a poor officer of the Guards."

"Er-rum! a gentleman is never poor," said Sir Hampton, with dignity.

"I think I can say no more, Sir Hampton," said Vanleigh, bowing to the
compliment. "You see now my hesitation about the dinner; for, of
course, if you refuse to regard our application favourably, to-morrow we
should--eh, Landells?"

"Back--town--certainly," said Sir Felix, wiping his face.

"Er-rum!" said Sir Hampton, rising, and placing a hand in his breast.
"Gentlemen, you take me by surprise, and you ask a great deal in--
er-rum--I say you ask a great deal--I, er-rum, I--honoured by your--
er-rum--proposals--and--and--er-rum, if I express myself badly, it is a
father's emotion. In short, I--er-rum--gentlemen--I, er-rum, give both
my full consent to visit here as often as you wish, and Lady Rea and my
daughters shall be acquainted with your proposals. I can, er-rum, say
no more now. Let us join the ladies."

Sir Felix, with tears in his eyes, took and wrung the old man's hand,
and, as the friends followed him out, Vanleigh bestowed upon the young
baronet a most solemn, but very vulgar, wink.

Volume 2, Chapter IX.

AN INTERVIEW WITH BARNEY STURT.

"Couldn't you make it a four-wheeler, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles, one
evening, "and take me up and bring us all back together?"

"Now, lookye here, old lady," said Sam, "I don't want to be hard, nor I
don't want to be soft, but what I says is this here--Where's it going to
end?"

"What _do_ you mean, Sam?" exclaimed Mrs Jenkles.

"What I says, my dear--Where's it going to end? You've got over me
about the money, and you've got over me about the lodgings. You're
allus going to Mrs Lane to tea, as I knows they don't find; and now you
wants me to give up my 'ansom, borrer a four-wheeler, and lose 'bout a
pound as I should make in fares; and what I says is--Where's it going to
end?"

"Sam, Sam, Sam," said Mrs Jenkles, "when did you ever go out with your
cab for about a couple of hours and make a pound?"

Sam stood rubbing his nose, and there wa