choly state of mind than usual,
occasioned by Uncle Sam's brutal declaration that "if responsible for
his godson's sins he was not responsible for his debts," and that he
really thought "the best thing Samuel Dolly could do, was to go to
prison for a short time and get whitewashed," Jasper began to lament his
own hard fate: "And just when one of the finest women in Paris has come
here on purpose to see me," said the lady-killer,--"a lady who keeps her
carriage, Dolly! Would have introduced you, if you had been well enough
to go out. One can't be always borrowing of her. I wish one could.
There's mother Crane would sell her gown off her back for me; but 'Gad,
sir, she snubs, and positively frightens me. Besides, she lays traps
to demean me; set me to work like a clerk!--not that I would hurt your
feelings, Dolly: if you are a clerk, or something of that sort, you are
a gentleman at heart. Well, then, we are both done up and cleaned out;
and my decided opinion is, that nothing is left but a bold stroke."

"I have no objection to bold strokes, but I don't see any; and Uncle
Sam's bold stroke of the Fleet prison is not at all to my taste."

"Fleet prison! Fleet fiddlestick! No. You have never been in Russia.
Why should we not go there both? My Paris friend, Madame Caumartin, was
going to Italy, but her plans are changed, and she is now all for St.
Petersburg. She will wait a few days for you to get well. We will all go
together and enjoy ourselves. The Russians dote upon whist. We shall get
into their swell sets and live like princes." Therewith Jasper launched
forth on the text of Russian existence in such glowing terms that Dolly
Poole shut his aching eyes and fancied himself sledging down the Neva,
covered with furs; a countess waiting for him at dinner, and counts in
dozens ready to offer bets to a fabulous amount that Jasper Losely lost
the rubber.

Having lifted his friend into this region of aerial castles, Jasper
then, descending into the practical world, wound up with the mournful
fact that one could not get to St. Petersburg, nor when there into swell
sets, without having some little capital on hand.

"I tell you what we will do. Madame Caumartin lives in prime style. Get
old Latham, your employer, to discount her bill at three months' date
for L500, and we will be all off in a crack." Poole shook his head. "Old
Latham is too knowing a file for that. A foreigner! He'd want security."

"I'll be security."

Do