'Who's she?'

'She's all my fancy painted her, sir, that's what she is,' said Mr
Swiveller, taking a long pull at 'the rosy' and looking gravely at his
friend. 'She's lovely, she's divine. You know her.'

'I remember,' said his companion carelessly. 'What of her?'

'Why, sir,' returned Dick, 'between Miss Sophia Wackles and the humble
individual who has now the honor to address you, warm and tender
sentiments have been engendered, sentiments of the most honourable and
inspiring kind. The Goddess Diana, sir, that calls aloud for the chase,
is not more particular in her behavior than Sophia Wackles; I can tell
you that.'

'Am I to believe there's anything real in what you say?' demanded his
friend; 'you don't mean to say that any love-making has been going on?'

'Love-making, yes. Promising, no,' said Dick. 'There can be no action
for breach, that's one comfort. I've never committed myself in writing,
Fred.'

'And what's in the letter, pray?'

'A reminder, Fred, for to-night--a small party of twenty, making two
hundred light fantastic toes in all, supposing every lady and gentleman
to have the proper complement. It must go, if it's only to begin
breaking off the affair--I'll do it, don't you be afraid. I should like
to know whether she left this herself. If she did, unconscious of any
bar to her happiness, it's affecting, Fred.'

To solve this question, Mr Swiveller summoned the handmaid and
ascertained that Miss Sophy Wackles had indeed left the letter with her
own hands; and that she had come accompanied, for decorum's sake no
doubt, by a younger Miss Wackles; and that on learning that Mr
Swiveller was at home and being requested to walk upstairs, she was
extremely shocked and professed that she would rather die. Mr Swiveller
heard this account with a degree of admiration not altogether
consistent with the project in which he had just concurred, but his
friend attached very little importance to his behavior in this respect,
probably because he knew that he had influence sufficient to control
Richard Swiveller's proceedings in this or any other matter, whenever
he deemed it necessary, for the advancement of his own purposes, to
exert it.

CHAPTER 8

Business disposed of, Mr Swiveller was inwardly reminded of its being
nigh dinner-time, and to the intent that his health might not be
endangered by longer abstinence, dispatched a message to the nearest
eating-house requiring an immediate supply of boiled