e's houses. He had
seen him at Vauxhall, dancing with an innocent girl in the lower ranks
of life, of whom he was making a victim. He had found out from an Irish
gentleman (formerly in the army), who frequented a club of which he,
Huxter, was member, who the girl was, on whom this conceited humbug was
practising his infernal arts; and he thought he should warn her father,
etc. etc.,--the letter then touched on general news, conveyed the
writer's thanks for the last parcel and the rabbits, and hinted his
extreme readiness for further favours.

About once a year, as we have stated, there was occasion for a
christening at the Warren, and it happened that this ceremony took place
a day after Hobnell had received the letter of his brother-in-law in
town. The infant (a darling little girl) was christened Myra Lucretia,
after its two godmothers, Miss Portman and Mrs. Pybus of Clavering, and
as of course Hobnell had communicated Sam's letter to his wife, Mrs.
Hobnell imparted its horrid contents to her two gossips. A pretty story
it was, and prettily it was told throughout Clavering in the course of
that day.

Myra did not--she was too much shocked to do so--speak on the matter to
her mamma, but Mrs. Pybus had no such feelings of reserve. She talked
over the matter not only with Mrs. Portman, but with Mr. and the
Honourable Mrs. Simcoe, with Mrs. Glanders, her daughters being to that
end ordered out of the room, with Madame Fribsby, and, in a word, with
the whole of the Clavering society. Madame Fribsby looking furtively up
at her picture of the dragoon, and inwards into her own wounded memory,
said that men would be men, and as long as they were men would be
deceivers; and she pensively quoted some lines from Marmion, requesting
to know where deceiving lovers should rest? Mrs. Pybus had no words
of hatred, horror, contempt, strong enough for a villain who could be
capable of conduct so base. This was what came of early indulgence, and
insolence, and extravagance, and aristocratic airs (it is certain that
Pen had refused to drink tea with Mrs. Pybus), and attending the corrupt
and horrid parties in the dreadful modern Babylon! Mrs. Portman was
afraid that she must acknowledge that the mother's fatal partiality had
spoiled this boy, that his literary successes had turned his head, and
his horrid passions had made him forget the principles which Doctor
Portman had instilled into him in early life. Glanders, the atrocious
Captai