. Boswell about Fielding?"

"And yet Gibbon praises him, Colonel," said the Colonel's interlocutor,
"and that is no small praise. He says that Mr. Fielding was of the
family that drew its origin from the Counts of Hapsburg; but----"

"Gibbon! Gibbon was an infidel, and I would not give the end of this
cigar for such a man's opinion. If Mr. Fielding was a gentleman by
birth, he ought to have known better; and so much the worse for him that
he did not. But what am I talking of, wasting your valuable time? No
more smoke, thank you. I must away into the City, but would not pass the
Temple without calling on you, and thanking my boy's old protector. You
will have the kindness to come and dine with us--to-morrow, the next
day, your own day? Your friend is going out of town? I hope, on his
return, to have the pleasure of making his further acquaintance. Come,
Clive."

Clive, who had been deep in a volume of Hogarth's engravings during the
above discussion, or rather oration of his father's, started up and took
leave, beseeching me, at the same time, to come soon and see his pony;
and so, with renewed greetings, we parted.

I was scarcely returned to my newspaper again, when the knocker of our
door was again agitated, and the Colonel ran back, looking very much
agitated and confused.

"I beg pardon," says he; "I think I left my--my----" Larkins had quitted
the room by this time, and then he began more unreservedly. "My dear
young friend," says he, "a thousand pardons for what I am going to say,
but, as Clive's friend, I know I may take that liberty. I have left the
boy in the court. I know the fate of men of letters and genius: when we
were here just now, there came a single knock--a demand--that, that
you did not seem to be momentarily able to meet. Now do, do pardon the
liberty, and let me be your banker. You said you were engaged in a new
work: it will be a masterpiece, I am sure, if it's like the last. Put
me down for twenty copies, and allow me to settle with you in advance. I
may be off, you know. I'm a bird of passage--a restless old soldier."

"My dear Colonel," said I, quite touched and pleased by this extreme
kindness, "my dun was but the washerwoman's boy, and Mrs. Brett is in
my debt, if I am not mistaken. Besides, I already have a banker in your
family."

"In my family, my dear Sir?"

"Messrs. Newcome, in Threadneedle Street, are good enough to keep my
money for me when I have any, and I am happy to say th