not that now and then, every ten years or so, one of these
well-looking, well-bred, indolent dandies, as if tired of his own
weariness, turns out to be either a dashing soldier, with a heart
to dare, and a head to devise the boldest achievements, or a politic
leader, with resources of knowledge, and a skill in debate, to confront
the most polished and practised veteran in "the Commons."

Our own experiences of our own day show that these are no paradoxical
speculations. But we must not pursue the theme further; and have only to
add, that the reader is not to believe that George Onslow formed one of
these brilliant exceptions. Whether the fault lies more in himself or in
us, we must not inquire.

If his lonely walks did not suggest any pleasant reveries, the post did
not bring any more agreeable tidings. Dry statements from Mr. Orson, his
lawyer, every young man about town has his lawyer nowadays, about the
difficulty of arranging his affairs, being the chief intelligence he
received, with, from time to time, a short and pithy epistle from a
certain noble creditor, Lord Norwood, who, although having won very
large sums from Onslow, never seemed in such pressing difficulty as
since his good fortune.

The viscount's style epistolary was neither so marked by originality,
nor so worthy of imitation, that it would be worth communicating; but
as one of his letters bears slightly upon the interests of our story,
we are induced to give it; and being, like all his correspondence, very
brief, we will communicate it in extenso.

"Oh, Norwood again!" said Onslow, as he looked at the seal, and read the
not very legible autograph in the corner. "My noble friend does not give
a very long respite;" and biting his lips in some impatience, he opened
the paper, and read:

DEAR ONSLOW, Orson has paid me the two thousand, as you
ordered, but positively refuses the seventeen hundred and
eighty, the Ascot affair, because I cannot give up the
original two bills for twelve hundred passed to me for that
debt. I told him that they were thrown into the fire being
devilishly tempted to illustrate the process with himself
six months ago, when you gave the renewals; but all won't
do, the old prig persists in his demand, to comply with
which is clearly impossible, for I have not even preserved
the precious ashes of the incremation. I don't doubt but
that, legally speaking, and in pettifogging