counsel of him to repair my broken fortunes. He
heard me without betraying surprise, said he would think the matter
over, and that something would assuredly turn up, talked vaguely of
advantageous appointments which he had interest in England to procure,
assured me of his sympathy and friendship, and bade me not despond,
but keep my heart up, for that I had plenty of time to turn in, and
meanwhile I must limit my expenses, and not be offended if he
occasionally gave me a friendly check when he saw me 'outrunning the
constable.' His tone and promises cheered me, and I again forgot my
critical position. Little did I dream that my misplaced confidence had
sealed my doom. If I had hitherto been spared, it was from no excess
of mercy, but because my real circumstances were unknown, my fortune
overrated, and a fear entertained of prematurely scaring the game by
too rapid an attack. It was now ascertained that the goose might be
slaughtered, without any sacrifice of golden eggs. Darvel now knew
exactly what I was worth,--barely two thousand pounds. That gone,
I should be a beggar. For two days he never lost sight of me,
accompanied me everywhere and kept me in a whirl of dissipation,
exerted to the utmost his amusing powers, which were very
considerable, and did all he could to raise my spirits. The third
morning he came to breakfast with me.

"'Dine at my rooms, to-day,' said he, as he sat puffing a Turkish
pipe, after making me laugh to exhaustion at a ridiculous adventure
that had befallen him the night before. 'Bachelor fare, you
know--brace of fowls and a gigot, a glass of that Chambertin you
so highly approve, and a little chicken hazard afterwards. Quite
quiet--shan't allow you to play high. We'll have a harmless,
respectable evening. I will ask Lowther and the Bully. Dine at seven,
to bed at twelve.'

"I readily accepted, and we strolled out to invite the other guests. A
few minutes' walk brought us to the domicile of Thomas Ringwood, Esq.,
known amongst his intimates as the Bully, a sobriquet he owed to
his gruff voice, blustering tone, and skill as a pugilist and
cudgel-player. He was member of a well-known and highly respectable
English family, who had done all in their power to keep him from
disgracing their name by his disreputable propensities. In dress and
manner he affected the plain bluff Englishman, wore a blue coat,
beaver gloves (or none at all), and a hat broad in the brim, spoke of
all foreigners with