rmed the guardians of the manner of life of his charge.
They were not slow in commanding Francis Ardry home; and, as he was
entirely in their power, he was forced to comply. He had been about
three months in London when I met him in the coffee-room, and the two
elderly gentlemen in his company were his guardians. At this time they
were very solicitous that he should choose for himself a profession,
offering to his choice either the army or law--he was calculated to shine
in either of these professions--for, like many others of his countrymen,
he was brave and eloquent; but he did not wish to shackle himself with a
profession. As, however, his minority did not terminate till he was
three-and-twenty, of which age he wanted nearly two years, during which
he would be entirely dependent on his guardians, he deemed it expedient
to conceal, to a certain degree, his sentiments, temporising with the old
gentlemen, with whom, notwithstanding his many irregularities, he was a
great favourite, and at whose death he expected to come into a yet
greater property than that which he inherited from his parents.

Such is a brief account of Francis Ardry--of my friend Francis Ardry; for
the acquaintance, commenced in the singular manner with which the reader
is acquainted, speedily ripened into a friendship which endured through
many long years of separation, and which still endures certainly on my
part, and on his--if he lives; but it is many years since I have heard
from Francis Ardry.

And yet many people would have thought it impossible for our friendship
to have lasted a week--for in many respects no two people could be more
dissimilar. He was an Irishman--I, an Englishman;--he, fiery,
enthusiastic, and open-hearted;--I, neither fiery, enthusiastic, nor
open-hearted;--he, fond of pleasure and dissipation;--I, of study and
reflection. Yet it is of such dissimilar elements that the most lasting
friendships are formed: we do not like counterparts of ourselves. "Two
great talkers will not travel far together," is a Spanish saying; I will
add, "Nor two silent people;" we naturally love our opposites.

So Francis Ardry came to see me, and right glad I was to see him, for I
had just flung my books and papers aside, and was wishing for a little
social converse; and when we had conversed for some little time together,
Francis Ardry proposed that we should go to the play to see Kean; so we
went to the play, and saw--not Kean, who at that