t, and we have only brought a VERY few
circular notes with us, perhaps you will have the kindness to give him
your share of the travelling expenses--for you, for Fanny, and your
two servants whom you WOULD bring with you: and the man has only been a
perfect hindrance and great useless log, and our courier has had to do
EVERYTHING. Your share is now eighty-two pounds."

Lady Kicklebury at this gave three screams, so loud that even the
resolute Lavinia stopped in her speech. Her ladyship looked wildly:
"Lavinia! Horace! Fanny my child," she said, "come here, and listen to
your mother's shame."

"What?" cried Horace, aghast.

"I am ruined! I am a beggar! Yes; a beggar. I have lost all--all at
yonder dreadful table."

"How do you mean all? How much is all?" asked Horace.

"All the money I brought with me, Horace. I intended to have paid
the whole expenses of the journey: yours, this ungrateful
child's--everything. But, a week ago, having seen a lovely baby's lace
dress at the lace-shop; and--and--won enough at wh--wh--whoo--ist to
pay for it, all but two--two florins--in an evil moment I went to the
roulette-table--and lost--every shilling: and now, on may knees before
you, I confess my shame."

I am not a tragic painter, and certainly won't attempt to depict THIS
harrowing scene. But what could she mean by saying she wished to pay
everything? She had but two twenty-pound notes: and how she was to
have paid all the expenses of the tour with that small sum, I cannot
conjecture.

The confession, however, had the effect of mollifying poor Milliken and
his wife: after the latter had learned that her mamma had no money at
all at her London bankers', and had overdrawn her account there,
Lavinia consented that Horace should advance her fifty pounds upon her
ladyship's solemn promise of repayment.

And now it was agreed that this highly respectable lady should return
to England, quick as she might: somewhat sooner than all the rest of the
public did; and leave Mr. and Mrs. Horace Milliken behind her, as the
waters were still considered highly salutary to that most interesting
invalid. And to England Lady Kicklebury went; taking advantage of
Lord Talboys' return thither to place herself under his lordship's
protection; as if the enormous Bowman was not protector sufficient for
her ladyship; and as if Captain Hicks would have allowed any mortal man,
any German student, any French tourist, any Prussian whiskerando, to do
a