a shot, no horror can extraneously depict.
Bland reader, judge of my sentiments. They
was talking loud in Mr. Stratford's room, him
and some party else. For a moment I conceived
myself victim to some fiendish pellucidation.
My brain throbbed, my pulses swam. It could
not be! I charged the door; and, sir, there,
sitting at his ease, pale, with his glass before
him and his cigar (did not I know by heart
his sickening conceited way of puffing out the
smoke and turning up his eyes?), opposite to
the infatiated Mr. Stratford sate my bane, my
horror—-that unprincipled dragon whose
poisons had twice ravaged a trusting cousin's
felicity—-that inhuman and sneering animal,
Mings.

Inured as I was of late to higher aims and
ends of society and behaviour, I should have
passed the now historical Area Sneak and
Arcadian Serpent, so justly placarded by you, sir,
with the frozen defiance as is vermin's ample
due, had not limits overflowed, by his trying to
laugh it off, as he said,

"Ah, Timothy, my tulip, who expected to
meet you here? Is Mrs. Wignett and the baby
in force? You may tell 'em I am above bearing
malice; and so my compliments to her, and love
to my godson, and wished to know how they
was a-getting on."

"Mings," said I, "sniggering audacity never
semented a bad cause, nor healed perjury, not
as I heard of. Keep yourself to yourself. Mr.
Stratford, sir, I hopes you are favourably in a
state of revival by your little trip." And I sat
down over against Mr. Stratford, making no
more of that mean imposture than if he had
been a fire-iron.

"Mr. Belville," said Mr. Stratford, but not
in his most natural easy manner, " Mr. Theodore
and I have some mutual matters to discuss.
"When the cab comes, let me know." And as
that silver-tongued and suspicious adder seemed
unwilling to quit the scene, poor Mr. Stratford
went across to him, and they talked a little
whisperously. Then the bisilask left the room.

But during their duett of two I had noticed
woful changes. Mr. Stratford, worn to a
penurious shadow, impelled by fever, and his
chambers ditto. Not a tittle of their splendid acutements
and subjects of taste was left. Even the
hookey of other days and cockatoo in her cage
were made away with. Bare walls stared around,
and a portmanto and hat-box ready libelled on
the floor.

"Theodore," said Mr. Stratford, twitching
like a haspin, "did you not get my letter?
But, hang it! no, you have believed in me, and
I won't humbug you. I should have written,
but had not the art to do it. What use in going
on with that pack of stuff, save to make conjoint
asses of ourselves? I'm off to Baden-Baden
tonight."

I felt all them colours of the rainbow. My
teeth chattered, and heads or heels might have
been uppermost, such was the rush of appalling
sensations! "Off, Mr. Stratford?" faltered I,
feeling as sure-as if Belshazzar had writ it on
the wall, from what quarter this acute and crushing
loss of all I held dear had emanated. " Off,
Mr. Stratford? If so be I could have the
honour——-"

But he waived his hand to put me to a full
stop, and went on: "I have no time now—-I'll
write—-and when I make my fortune, you shall
be the better for it! And, by Jove! Carroway"
rousing a faint attempt at pristine
jocularity, "I shall make my fortune this time.
Meanwhile, here's a twenty-pound note I was
a-putting up for your time and trouble." And
pulling a ring from his finger, "Wear this to
remind you of a poor profligate, and keep
steady. Now, Mr. Belville"—-for the rattle of
the honeyed reptile was heard at the door—-"is
time up? Lend a hand with them traps." And
they both got up the luggage between them, and
was down-stairs, and the cab was drove off while
I sat staring on the bank-note in my hand, and
the cornelius ring set in raly good gold on
the table by the empty bottles. I began to
cry like a senseless baby, as if so be my heart
would burst. Slratford, with all thy faults,
etceteror!

From that moment to this I have not heard
a word what became of that poor showy sweet-
tempered Amiteur and hero of Fortune's spite,
and many disheveled pleasing talents, calculated
to amuse. But disclosiures disclosed as how he
and that Mings had made midnightly acquaintance
in one of them haunts, masqued by
insidious sigars in a front shop, which is frequent
dens of hope and despair in the vicinity of a
certain square with a titled name. Which had
lost and which had won I could never make out,
but that the fiend had established a confidentious
ascendancy over the sanguine partner of mine
as was near having been, was true: also that
they set off in fatal company conjointly imbued
with some indefeasible scheme of rupturing
foreign Banks. But I would greet the scaffold
in the conviction that Mr. Stratford had too
much of the heart of honour in his bosom to
stoop to the slimy depth of sharp play and foul
practice. Though an Amiteur, he was an
unmitigated gentleman, and them as is such
militates the most deeply against themselves.

                    Just published,
         THE FOURTEENTH VOLUME,
           Price 5s. 6d., bound In cloth.