ther young lord from the table on the other side.
Then the waiter, still speaking with suppressed and melancholy voice,
suggested that there was some port left. It was now the middle of
July.

'Brandy?' suggested Nidderdale. There had been a few bottles of
brandy, but they had been already consumed. 'Send out and get some
brandy,' said Nidderdale with rapid impetuosity. But the club was so
reduced in circumstances that he was obliged to take silver out of his
pocket before he could get even such humble comfort as he now
demanded.

Then Lord Grasslough told the whole story as far as it was known. Herr
Vossner had not been seen since nine o'clock on the preceding evening.
The head waiter had known for some weeks that heavy bills were due. It
was supposed that three or four thousand pounds were owing to
tradesmen, who now professed that the credit had been given, not to
Herr Vossner but to the club. And the numerous acceptances for large
sums which the accommodating purveyor held from many of the members
had all been sold to Mr Flatfleece. Mr Flatfleece had spent a
considerable portion of the day at the club, and it was now suggested
that he and Herr Vossner were in partnership. At this moment Dolly
Longestaffe came in. Dolly had been at the club before and had heard
the story,--but had gone at once to another club for his dinner when
he found that there was not even a bottle of wine to be had. 'Here's a
go,' said Dolly. 'One thing atop of another! There'll be nothing left
for anybody soon. Is that brandy you're drinking, Nidderdale? There
was none here when I left.'

'Had to send round the corner for it, to the public.'

'We shall be sending round the corner for a good many things now. Does
anybody know anything of that fellow Melmotte?'

'He's down in the House, as big as life,' said Nidderdale. 'He's all
right I think.'

'I wish he'd pay me my money then. That fellow Flatfleece was here,
and he showed me notes of mine for about L1,500! I write such a
beastly hand that I never know whether I've written it or not. But, by
George, a fellow can't eat and drink L1,500 in less than six months!'

'There's no knowing what you can do, Dolly,' said Lord Grasslough.

'He's paid some of your card money, perhaps,' said Nidderdale.

'I don't think he ever did. Carbury had a lot of my I.O.U.'s while that
was going on, but I got the money for that from old Melmotte. How is a
fellow to know? If any fellow writes D. Longestaff