British army! and blast the British navy, too!" cried Marble,
with more feeling than manners. "But for the last, our old friend Miles,
here, would now be a rich man."

"Miles!" Rupert repeated, with an astonishment that had more nature in it
than had been usual with him of late years. "This is true, then, and you
have not been lost at sea, Wallingford?"

"I am living, as you may see, Mr. Hardinge, and glad of this opportunity
to inquire after your father and sister?"

"Both are well, I thank you: the old gentleman, in particular, will be
delighted to see you. He has felt your misfortunes keenly, and did all he
could to avert the sad affair about Clawbonny. You know he could as well
raise a million, as raise five or ten thousand dollars; and poor Lucy is
still a minor, and can only touch her income, the savings of which were
insufficient, just then. We did all we could, I can assure you,
Wallingford; but I was about commencing house-keeping, and was in want of
cash at the moment,--and you know how it is under such circumstances. Poor
Clawbonny! I was exceedingly sorry when I heard of it; though they say
this Mr. Daggett, your successor, is going to do wonders with it,--a
capitalist, they tell me, and able to carry out all his plans."

"I am glad Clawbonny has fallen into good hands, since it has passed out
of mine. Good evening, Mr. Hardinge, I shall take an early opportunity to
find your father, and to learn the particulars."

"Yes; he'll be exceedingly glad to see you, Wallingford; and I'm sure it
will always afford me pleasure to aid you, in any way I can. I fear it
must be very low water with you?"

"If having nothing to meet a balance of some twenty or thirty thousand
dollars of unpaid debt is what you call low water, the tide is out of my
pocket, certainly. But, I shall not despair; I am young, and have a
noble, manly profession."

"Yes, I dare say, you'll do remarkably well, Wallingford," Rupert
answered, in a patronizing manner. "You were always an enterprising
fellow; and one need have no great concern for _you_. It would hardly be
delicate to ask you to see Mrs. Hardinge, just as you are--not but what
you appear uncommonly well in your round-about, but I know precisely how
it is with young men when there are ladies in the case; and Emily _is_ a
little over-refined, perhaps."

"Yet, Mrs. Hardinge has seen me often in a round-about, and passed hours
in my company, when I have been dressed just as I am at