“You don’t lose ten pounds at a sitting, I guess, as you used to do at Short’s. Playing for love, I suppose you call it?”

‘Miss Caroline simpered, and looked down. Jack was not thinking of her. He was thinking of the days we had had at the “Mermaid.” Suddenly he said, “Where were you this day last year, Frank?”

‘“I don’t remember!” said I.

‘“Then I’ll tell you. It’s the 23rd – the day you were taken up for knocking down the fellow in Long Acre, and that I had to bail you out ready for Christmas-day. You are in more agreeable quarters to-night.”

‘He did not intend this reminiscence to be heard, but was not in the least put out when Miss Tomkinson, with a face of dire surprise, asked –

‘“Mr Harrison taken up, sir?”

‘“Oh, yes, ma’am; and you see it was so common an affair with him to be locked up that he can’t remember the dates of his different imprisonments.”

‘He laughed heartily; and so should I, but that I saw the impression it made. The thing was, in fact, simple enough, and capable of easy explanation. I had been made angry by seeing a great hulking fellow, out of mere wantonness, break the crutch from under a cripple; and I struck the man more violently than I intended, and down he went, yelling out for the police, and I had to go before the magistrate to be released. I disdained giving this explanation at the time. It was no business of theirs what I had been doing over a year ago; but still Jack might have held his tongue. However, that unruly member of his was set a-going, and he told me afterwards he was resolved to let the old ladies into a little of life; and accordingly he remembered every practical joke we had ever had, and talked and laughed, and roared again. I tried to converse with Miss Caroline – Mrs Munton – any one; but Jack was the hero of the evening, and every one was listening to him.

‘“Then he has never sent any hoaxing letters since he came here, has he? Good boy! He has turned over a new leaf. He was the deepest dog at that I ever met with. Such anonymous letters as he used to send! Do you remember that to Mrs Walbrook, eh, Frank? That was too bad!” (the wretch was laughing all the time). “No; I won’t tell about it – don’t be afraid. Such a shameful hoax!” (laughing again).

‘“Pray do tell,” I called out; for he made it seem far worse than it was.

‘“Oh no, no; you’ve established a better character – I would not for the world nip your budding efforts. We’ll bury the past in oblivion.”

‘I tried to tell my neighbours the story to which he alluded; but they were attracted by the merriment of Jack’s manner, and did not care to hear the plain matter of fact.

‘Then came a pause; Jack was talking almost quietly to Miss Horsman. Suddenly he called across the room – “How many times have you been out with the hounds? The hedges were blind very late this year, but you must have had some good mild days since.”

‘“I have never been out,” said I, shortly.

‘“Never! – whew –! Why, I thought that was the great attraction to Duncombe.”

‘Now was not he provoking? He would condole with me, and fix the subject in the minds of every one present.

‘The supper trays were brought in, and there was a shuffling of situations. He and I were close together again.

‘“I say, Frank, what will you lay me that I don’t clear that tray before people are ready for their second helping? I’m as hungry as a hound.”

‘“You shall have a round of beef and a raw leg of mutton when you get home. Only do behave yourself here.”

‘“Well, for your sake; but keep me away from those trays, or I’ll not answer for myself. ‘Hould me, or I’ll fight,’ as the Irishman said. I’ll go and talk to that little old lady in blue, and sit with my back to those ghosts of eatables.”

‘He sat down by Miss Caroline, who would not have liked his description of her; and began an earnest, tolerably quiet conversation. I tried to be as agreeable as I could, to do away with the impression he had given of me; but I found that every one drew up a little stiffly at my approach, and did not encourage me to make any remarks.

‘In the middle of my attempts, I heard Miss Caroline beg Jack to take a glass of wine, and I saw him help himself to what appeared to be port; but in an instant he set it down from his lips, exclaiming, “Vinegar, by Jove!” He made the most horribly wry face; and Miss Tomkinson came up in a severe hurry to investigate the affair. It turned out it was some black-currant wine, on which she particularly piqued herself; I drank two glasses of it to ingratiate myself with her, and can testify to its sourness. I don’t think she noticed my exertions, she was so much engrossed in listening to Jack’s excuses for his mal-à-propos observation. He told her, with the gravest face, that he had been a teetotaller so long that he had but a confused recollection of the distinction between wine and vinegar, particularly eschewing the latter, because it had been twice fermented; and that he had imagined Miss Caroline had asked him to take toast-and-water, or he should never have touched the decanter.

Chapter IX

‘AS WE WERE walking home, Jack said, “Lord, Frank! I’ve had such fun with the little lady in blue. I told her you wrote to me every Saturday, telling me the events of the week. She took all in.” He stopped to laugh; for he bubbled and chuckled so that he could not laugh and walk. “And I told her you were deeply in love” (another laugh); “and that I could not get you to tell me the name of the lady, but that she had light brown hair – in short, I drew from life, and gave her an exact description of herself; and that I was most anxious to see her, and implore her to be merciful to you, for that you were a most timid, faint-hearted fellow with women.” He laughed till I thought he would have fallen down. “I begged her, if she could guess who it was from my description – I’ll answer for it she did – I took care of that; for I said you described a mole on the left cheek, in the most poetical way, saying Venus had pinched it out of envy at seeing any one more lovely – oh, hold me up, or I shall fall – laughing and hunger make me so weak; – well, I say, I begged her, if she knew who your fair one could be, to implore her to save you.