thinking it rather hard upon our
friend of the omnibus; those policemen pounced upon him and walked him
off, without much consideration of the case. Well, I don't want to see
the fellow again; he made my blood boil to-day."

"Then you will see him, you may depend upon it," said Pratt. "That's
just the awkwardness of fate, or whoever the lady is that manages these
matters. Owe a man ten pounds, and you will meet him every day like
clock-work."

"Why, Franky," said Trevor, laying his hand upon the other's arm, and
speaking with the old schoolboy familiarity, "I can't help noticing
these money allusions. Have you been very short at times?"

There was a pause of a few moments' duration, and then Pratt said,
shortly--"Awfully!"

They walked on then in silence, which was broken at last by Pratt, who
said in a hurried way--

"That accounts for my shabby, screwy ways, Dick, so forgive me for
having developed into such a mean little beggar. You see, the governor
died and left madam with barely enough to live on, and then she pinched
for my education, and she had to fight through it all to get ready for
my call to the bar, where, in our innocence--bless us!--we expected that
briefs would come showering in, and that, once started in chambers in
the Temple, my fortune would be made."

"And the briefs do not shower down yet, Franky?" said Trevor.

"Don't come even in drops. Haven't had occasion for an umbrella once
yet. So I went out to Egypt with Landells, you know, and wrote letters
and articles for the Geographical; and, somehow, I got elected to the
`Wanderers,' and--here's the gorgeous Van and little Flick."

"Ah, Trevor, my dear boy!" said the first-named gentleman, sauntering
up, "thought we should see you somewhere. Flick, have the goodness to
slip that into the case for me."

As he spoke, he handed the race-glass he held in his delicately-gloved
hands to the young baronet, who looked annoyed, but closed the glass,
and slipped it into the sling-case hanging at his companion's side.

"We should have seen you before, but we came upon a pair of rural houris
in a barouche."

"Where?" said Pratt, sharply.

"Ah, Pratt--you there? How do?" said the Captain, coolly. "Over the
other side of the course, in a lane. I couldn't get Landells away."

"Oh--come!" drawled the young baronet.

"Had his glass turned upon them, and there he was, perfectly
transfixed."

"Boot was on the other foot, 'sure you," said