chambers, and found the envoy of the Nawaub alone. He abused the world
in general for being heartless and unkind to him: he abused his wife for
being ungenerous to him; he abused Strong for being ungrateful--hundreds
of pounds had he given Ned Strong--been his friend for life and kept
him out of gaol, by Jove,--and now Ned was taking her ladyship's side
against him and abetting her in her infernal unkind treatment of him.
"They've entered into a conspiracy to keep me penniless, Altamont," the
Baronet said: "they don't give me as much pocket money as Frank has at
school."

"Why don't you go down to Richmond and borrow of him, Clavering?"
Altamont broke out with a savage laugh. "He wouldn't see his poor old
beggar of a father without pocket-money, would he?"

"I tell you, I've been obliged to humiliate myself cruelly" Clavering
said. "Look here, sir--look here, at these pawn-tickets! Fancy a Member
of Parliament and an old English Baronet, by Gad! obliged to put
a drawing-room clock and a buhl inkstand up the spout; and a gold
duck's-head paper-holder, that I dare say cost my wife five pound, for
which they'd only give me fifteen-and-six! Oh, it's a humiliating
thing, sir, poverty to a man of my habits; and it's made me shed tears,
sir,--tears; and that d----d valet of mine--curse him, I wish he was
hanged!--he had the confounded impudence to threaten to tell my lady: as
the things in my own house weren't my own, to sell or to keep, or fling
out of window if I chose--by Gad! the confounded scoundrel.

"Cry a little; don't mind cryin' before me--it'll relieve you
Clavering," the other said. "Why, I say, old feller, what a happy feller
I once thought you, and what a miserable son of a gun you really are!"

"It's a shame that they treat me so, ain't it?" Clavering went on,--for,
though ordinarily silent and apathetic, about his own griefs the Baronet
could whine for an hour at a time. "And--and, by Gad, sir, I haven't got
the money to pay the very cab that's waiting for me at the door; and the
porteress, that Mrs. Bolton, lent me three shillin's, and I don't like
to ask her for any more: and I asked that d----d old Costigan, the
confounded old penniless Irish miscreant, and he hadn't got a shillin',
the beggar; and Campion's out of town, or else he'd do a little bill for
me, I know he would."

"I thought you swore on your honour to your wife that you wouldn't put
your name to paper," said Mr. Altamont, puffing at his c