in-distance between us immediately. So long as
Toppleton walked on foot I could always reach
his hand; but now that he was mounted I was
obliged to be content with a wave of the tips
of his gloves. O Toppleton, my friend, thou
knowest not what pain and anguish, what
shame and confusion of face, what soreness of
heart, thou art causing me! When that golden
shower began to fall ever so gently, did I not
vow and protest and swear, by my knowledge of
thee, by my friendship for thee, and by my trust
on thee, that thou wouldst bear it all meekly and
modestly? And now their scoffs and jeers pierce
me like arrows. " How's your friend, Toppleton?
Has he invited you to dinner in his fine
new house, yet?" I cannot say thou hast,
Toppleton. " The great Toppleton condescended
to bow from his brougham to me, to-day."
Such an honour didst thou confer upon me,
O Toppleton! " Lord Toppleton does not look
in at the Bearded Oyster, now." I must own
that to be a truth: I never see thee at the
Bearded Oyster; and, when I called upon you
at your chambers the other day, you sent
down a message to say that you were busy.
Farewell, Toppleton! may you be happy in that
select circle of noodles with which you have
encompassed your greatness.

Swellington moved up out of my society in a
most absurd manner. It was not a matter of
money in his case, but a matter of glossy hat,
and gold chain, and slim umbrella, and
patent leather boots. All at once Swellington took
to being an exquisite. The first thing he
did was to part his hair down the middle,
shave off his whiskers, and wear a tip and
a moustache. Then he took to jewellery, and
light kid gloves. I dare say if Middleton
and I and the other fellows had followed the
movement, we should not have lost the society
of Swellington. But Middleton and I and the
other fellows, though always decently clad, are
somewhat careless about gloves, and hats, and
such matters; and because we walk about with
naked hands, and fat umbrellas, and furry hats,
Swellington gradually cut us, and took up with
another set of fellows, who were more genteel.
I know Swellington is not happy among them,
for they are an empty-headed set; but then their
gloves are all right, and ours are not. I loved
Swellington so well that I went to Dent and to
Down and made my hands and head all right
too, and went up after him; but I found him
so much altered for the worse, that I gave
him over for good (or evil) to his new associates.
Read this in your garret, Shuffleton, and learn
how these friends of mine avenge thee.

My friend Middleton has proposed to me to
swear eternal friendship. When he made this
proposal, I said:

"No, Middleton, don't let us be rash.
Suppose that uncle of yours were to die, and leave
you his fortune?"

"It wouldn't make the slightest difference in
me, my dear boy."

"Don't talk nonsense, my dear Middleton.
Your uncle is worth a hundred thousand pounds.
If you became possessed of that large sum of
money, it would only be natural that you should
set up in a fine house and start your carriage."

"Well, perhaps I might; but that need not
alter my friendship for you."

"It will, though."

"Oh, nonsense! How?"

"In this way; you will get into parliament,
perhaps."

"Well, possibly."

"And you will become a member of the
Reform or the Carlton, where, of necessity, you will
spend a good deal of your time."

"Well?"

"Well; I cannot meet you at the Reform or
the Carlton."

"But I shall always look in and see my old
friends at the Gridiron here."

"No you won't: it would never do for a
Member of Parliament to be seen frequenting a
tavern club of this sort. You will have to
maintain your position with all things in a
concatenation accordingly."

"But I can always ask you to my house."

"Yes; but you won't ask me. You will have
to entertain your political friends and others
who will swarm about you, and you won't
like to introduce your old friend Snobson to
lords and cabinet ministers, and right honourables,
and grand folks of that sort. You
couldn't do it, my dear fellow; it would be
absurd."

"I am afraid you are right, Snobson. To
put it in the mildest language, we shouldn't see
so much of each other as we do now."

"Exactly, Middleton; and if you were to
go very much to the bad, it would be the
same thing. We shouldn't see so much of
each other then. Let's be happy together while
we can; but don't let us make any vows."

THE PROFESSOR'S ADVENTURE.

BETWEEN eight and ten years ago, I engaged
in a long vacation campaign among the Alps
of Savoy. I was alone. My object was not
amusement, but study. I occupy a Professor's
Chair, and I was engaged in the collection of
materials for a work on the Flora of the
higher Alps; and, to this end, travelled chiefly
on foot. My route lay far from the beaten
paths and passes. I often journeyed for days
through regions where there were neither inns
nor villages. I often wandered from dawn till
dusk, among sterile steeps unknown even to the
herdsmen of the upper pasturages, and
untrodden save by the chamois and the hunter. I
thought myself fortunate, at those times, if,
towards evening, I succeeded in steering my way
down to the nearest châlet, where, in
company with a half-savage mountaineer and a herd
of milch goats, I might find the shelter of a
raftered roof, and a supper of black bread and
whey.

On one particular evening I had gone further
than usual, in pursuit of the Senecio unifloris:
a rare plant which I had hitherto believed