less upon its own wheels. Algernon went to bed, completely forgetting Edward and his own misfortunes, under the influence of the opiate of the order for one thousand

hose jewels, his precious gifts of what she ha

d the impulse, and sent it with great force into a corner of the room: a perfectly fool-like proceeding, for the fool is, aft

Mrs. Lovell's portrait, that had no rival now upon the wall, and that gave him a sharp fight for the preservation of his

oman, and know it. Smile away. I prefer a staunch, true sort of a woman, after all. And the colonies it must be, I begin to suspect." This set him conj

llowing day. He then communicated with Edward, in the brief Caesarian tongue of the telegraph: "All right. Stay. Ceremony arranged." After which, he hailed a skimming cab, and pronouncing the word "Epso

ne and dreamed last night," said the cabman, as

p it away as hard as he could,

ed through the little door above, to get

' on the course

o take up nowhere

ke the sig

in't what I

man, and you wil

it'd impart more confidence to my bosom," said

get a rosette, if you like, sir, and enter in triumph. Gives ye som

on," Algernon sang out.

Tenpenny Nail's the horse. He's the colours I stick to." And off he drove, envied of

rms, with the frown of

atigable industry on an imaginary slate; put his postulate, counted probabilities, allowed for chances, added, deducted, multi

ditated matter. He discovered therein some half-crowns and a sixpence, the latter of which

He rollicked in his present poverty. Yesterday he had run down with a party of young guardsmen in a very royal manner; and yesterday he had

o propitiate Fortune by displaying a signal indifference to small change; in which method of courting her he was perfectly serious. He absolutely

, and where? A cloud obscured it; he had forgotten. He consoled himself by cursing superstition. Tenpenny Nail was to gain the day in spite of fortune. Algernon said this

oment, and hearing "Tenpenny Nail" shouted, he put forth h

e," was t

and all Englishmen being equal on Epsom Downs, his stare at the man w

ur outside. A rage of emotions drowned every idea in his head, and when he got one clear from the mass, it took the form of a bitter sneer at Providence, for cutting off his l

p," whether he won or lost -was good or bad.

Ring. The bee-swarm was thick as ever on the golden bough. Algernon heard no curses, and began to nourish hope again, as he ad

inguishing him, under one of the acuter twinges of his veteran complaint of impecuniosity. And then the cabman made himself heard: a civil cabman, but without directions,

and fetch my purse out of the bo

ired. Holding to a gentleman's purse is

is waistcoat-pocket reflectively, a man at his

sir," and showed the rim of a g

but tried to keep his eyes from looking at the man's face; which

edge oneself mean, and to abandon the manliness of life. Algernon's betting-book was soon out and in operation. While thus engaged, he beheld faces passing and repassing that were the

ally less satisfactory than losing, which, at all events, had the merit

eries; but Lord Suckling coming by, said "Name your horse," and, caught unawares, Algernon named Lit

ndly young nobleman nodded, and made allowance for his ill-temper

the field by coming

to the Ring till he was haggard with fatigue. His whole nature cried out for Champagne, and now he burst away from that devilish circle, looking about for Lord

I wonder?" he

earing from behind his shoulder. "Don't you happen to be peckish, sir?-'cau

ooth with what money remained to him, and appointing a place of meeting for the return. After which he glanced round furtively to mak

ess, to starve. Wherever he turned, he saw strangers and empty hampers, bottles, straw, waste paper-the ruins of the feast: Fa

rdly formed, when Nicodemus Sedgett approached, waving a hat encircled by preposterous wooden figures, a trifle less

ft in him, for one who came as an instrument of the Fates to help him to some p

d, I says-don't you, sir? and this has been rare sport, that it has! Did ye find your purse, sir? N

apparently on a remote su

t my chamber

sferred to him: but Sedget

e a bit of a talk wit

ed the irritable young gentleman, fearful

le and music-them's my darlings!" the wretch vented his slang. "And I must have a talk with you. I'll stick to you. I'm social when I'm jolly, that I be: and I don't know a chap on these h

t accompanying him. He entered a booth, and partook of ale and ham, feeling that he was in the dregs of calamity. Thoug

nour of hob-a-nobbing with a gentleman. Several times he recurr

but her illness had pulled her down and made her humble: they had cut her hair during the fever, which had taken her pride clean out of her; and when he had put the question to her on the e

er, thank ye! and we shan't meet again in a hurry. And what sort o' song I'm to sing for 'England is my nation, ain't come across me yet. A

rows and cheek-bones; otherwise, the yellow about the little brown dot in the centre of the eyeball had not changed; but the loo

ish chap, and I'm that, when I'm along wi' her. She can't make out how I come to call at her house and know her first. Gives up guessing, I suppose, for she's quiet about it; and I pitch her tales about Australia, and life out there. I've got

e shown the man with a look how repulsive he was to a gentleman. His sensat

not? There was no compulsion: she accepted this ma

or forlorn soul striving to expiate her fault, that h

that the agreement was fixed

gulped s

and laid his huge hand

as too

tisfy you," said

ned Sedgett, rising with him.

won

nd have a look at a sparring-m

ng back t

that's the fun, now, ai

abman and the conveyance

want to speak o' them sovereigns-but I've got to get back too

ed the man, but his feebleness was seized by the latter question, and he fancied he might, on the road to

in," h

olesome proximity. He took the vacant place, in horror of it. The man had hitherto appeared respectful; and i

just like medicine to her- that 'tis! I've read out to her till I could ha' swallowed two quart o' beer at a gulp-I was that mortal thirsty. It don't somehow seem to improve men. It di

e ruffian prompted Algerno

ust be past any good to

bl

the thick and hateful flush of evil blood

ipe. 'Scoundrel 's a name I've got a retort for, and if it hadn't been you, and you a gentleman, you'd have had it span

e knuckles of the fist

cried Algernon, crushing

e, if I downs with it,

Londoners calls 'b

on by the coat-t

non shouted t

ad!" roare

ong the main street of Epsom, and re-awa

her, they came apart by mutual consent, and exchanged half-length blows. Overhead, the cabman-not merely a cabman, but an indi

s little observing door, and given one glance, parrot-wise, below, he sh

r. He raised the waxed end of his pipe, and with an authoritative motion of his head at the same time, pointed out the case to a man in a donkey-cart, who looke

ts jumped in

spile sport," said the donkey's man. "O' c

s," said the cabman. "Would y

ad inspected the figures o

to Sedgett. "You leave that

th the pip

graced. It shan't be said Englishmen don't know how to enjoy them

ccomplished by violence, f

ing, which caused a stoppage of

ray critically, and his companion stretching his neck to

re were many by this time) turned their

e crowd, was indefinite. None responding, he shook with ox-like wrath, pushed among shoulders, and pl

on) who had recently been at a pummelling match with him, and bore the stains o

re's something as corks 'em up, and something uncorks 'em; but what that

ttle donkey's no

rtake that ere Hansom within three miles

's quality was famous

d; "and show what you c

er T

ittle donk

ITOR'S B

the same-Kno

and quantity of th

rt of every his

mpliments to t

ot the pluc

like nat

o did not play the wom

slow poison used by thos

ng for an anoma

irs of hist

er, one must not begin

's ended before y

said the demon, y

is me