with it. Altogether, I must have made—let me
see" (he took a little book from his drawer)—
"hem—hem—fifteen—seven—last three—yes—
just sixteen thousand pounds!"

I started up.

"You don't mean to tell me, seriously, that
you have kept this money?"

"I have kept it, and made a good deal by
it," said Freddy, laughing.

"Then you ought to be heartily ashamed of
yourself," I said. "Come, Freddy, you are
joking with me, as an old friend may; but you
would be sorry to have me put faith in your
assertion that you have actually obtained this
amount of money from your kind old relative
by false representations?"

"I am not joking. I wish you to believe it,
every word," replied Freddy, with a slightly
heightened colour.

"I am very sorry to hear it," said I, " and to
prove it, I shall wish you good morning. I have
not at all enjoyed this conversation. I have
known your kind confiding aunt since I was an
urchin at school. I know, almost as well as
yourself, the condition of her affairs, and that
what I cannot but call the misbestowal of a
thousand a year out of fifteen hundred must be
severely felt in her liberal household. I am not
a censor of any man's morals, but I have my
own opinions of the fair and honourable, and
what you have revealed to me, Bullingham, gives
me pain that I do not care to conceal."

"Capitally delivered, my dear fellow," said
the incorrigible Fred. " I am sorry your
audience was so small. To be candid, it does
appear rather a roguish piece of business; still,
necessity has no law, and——"

"Law has no necessity," said I, with a stern
smile, " which makes the matter worse. Good
morning."

"Oh, come, if you take it in that way," said
Fred, " good morning. Still, if at any time a
few hundreds——"

"What do you mean?"

"Gentleman wishes to see you, sir," said the
clerk, putting in his head.

"His name?"

"Mr. Suckham Drye, sir."

"In a moment. George, you must wait and
see this fellow. He's a character. He knows
my aunt, in whom you take so kind an
interest."

The last words changed my intention. I sat
down. The visitor was shown in.

Mr. Suckham Drye had a countenance somewhat
resembling that of a bull-terrier, at the
moment that animal fastens on the lip of his
ponderous foe, and is exerting all his energies
to prevent being shaken into the air. His teeth
appeared to close inward, like those of a shark,
and he had a habit of drawing his breath through
them, when closed, that suggested the idea of
exhausting, to the last drop, something that
afforded him the keenest pleasure.

"Ha, Suckham, glad to see you," said my
friend. "Mr. Hartwell— Mr. Drye. Well,
Suckham, anything new?"

"Fifty things at least," said Mr. Drye. And
he produced a huge packet of papers. " Good,
bad, and indifferent, you know."

"Stick to the first, my boy," said Freddy.
"Time's precious. George, I want you to
attend to this. My friend Drye, though
possessed of sufficient wealth for his own moderate
wants, is never weary of enriching others. He
carries in his pocket, at this instant, twenty
millions sterling, ready to bestow upon you, or
any one who will submit to his able guidance."

"It is an amusement to me, sir," said Mr.
Drye, smilingly explaining. " Wearied of the
vicissitudes of commercial life, I have retired
on my little competence, and now merely utilise
the business experience of many years for the
benefit of any fellow-being who feels disposed,
like young Norval's prudent father, to ' increase
his store.'"

"Such, I apprehend, are not difficult to find."

"Well no, sir," said Mr. Drye, in a manner
that seemed to intimate there might be
considerable doubt about the matter. " The facilities
for making money are, at present, so absurdly
great, that, really, those only who, for elevated
reasons, prefer being poor, need remain so.
Here, for example, are half a dozen projects,
placed altogether beyond the province of failure,
which need nothing but two or three good
working men—and—and a few more
shareholders—to realise a couple of millions profit
the first twelvemonth. Here's another, on a
larger scale—tunnel under Irish Channel—
branch to Douglas, Isle of Man. Another—
gas company, for supplying Brynmeewea and
Llantydidldwlyrg—little local thing—a toy.
Ha! here's the thing I should recommend, and
to which your good aunt, Miss Sympleson
has——"

"Ha! subscribed?" exclaimed Freddy,
eagerly.

"Not yet," returned Mr. Drye, significantly.
"A word from you might, I think——"

"I dare say it might," said Freddy, " but it
won't. Come, come; you've done enough for
her, Suckham. Let her alone. She can't
afford to have her fortune made. It would
ruin her."

"Well—just fifty of the Submarine
Tunnels——"

"Not one. The scheme's a bubble."

"I admit there are engineering difficulties—
impossibilities, if you like; but what has that to
do with the spec?"

"I tell you, Drye, it's no go. I must
protect my aunt's interests," said Freddy, with a
virtuous air, that made me smile.

"Ahem!" said Mr. Drye. " I shall, at all
events, use what influence I possess over Miss
Sympleson, not to lose this great opportunity."
He laughed and rubbed his hands, certain of
success.

Bullingham seemed uneasy. After a pause:

"I tell you what, Suckham," he said, "if
you are determined to benefit the family, let
me be the party this time. Give me your word
of honour not to trouble my aunt about this
rubb—this submarine thing—and I will take
fifty shares myself, and a seat at your board."