He would sometimes gaze at the | titled to their deference and gratitude. unconscious Earl, and speculate, in a 'Twas, indeed, ecstasy to poor old Lord sort of reverie, upon the possible ef- Dreddlington to behold his name, from fects attending the dreaded disclosure, time to time, glittering in the vantill he would give a sort of inward himself figuring away as a chief pastart, as he realised the fearful and irre- tron a prime mover-in some vast trievable extent to which he had com- and lucrative undertaking, which almitted himself. He shuddered also to most from the first moment of its prothink that he was, moreover, in a jection, attracted the notice and conmeasure, at the mercy of Titmouse fidence of the monied classes, and himself who, in some mad moment became productive to its originators! of drunkenness or desperation, of Many attempts were made by his pique or revenge, might disclose the brother peers, and those who once fatal secret, and precipitate upon him, had considerable influence over him, when least prepared for them, all its to open his eyes to the questionable long-dreaded consequences. The slen- nature of the concerns to which he der faculties of Lord Dreddlington had was so freely lending the sanction of been for months in a state of novel his name and personal interference; and grateful excitement, through the but his pride and obstinacy caused him occupation afforded them by his con- to turn a deaf ear to their suggestions; nection with the fashionable modes of and the skilful and delicious flatteries commercial enterprise - joint-stock of Mr Gammon and others, seconded companies; the fortunate members of by the substantial fruits of his fancied which got rich, they scarcely knew skill and energy, urged him on from how. It seemed as though certain step to step, till he became one of the persons had but to acquire a nominal most active and constant in his interinterest in some great transaction of ference with the concerns of one or this sort, to find it pouring wealth in- two great speculations, such as have to their coffers, as if by magic; and been mentioned in a former part of it was thus that Lord Dreddlington, this history, and from which he lookamongst others, found himself quietly ed forward to realising, at no distant realising large sums of money, without day, resplendent results. Never, in apparent risk or exertion-his move- fact, had one man obtained over anments being skilfully guided by Gam- other a more complete mastery, than mon, and one or two others, who, Mr Gammon over the Earl of Dredwhile they treated him as a mere in-dlington; at whose haughtily exclustrument to aid in deluding the public, yet contrived to impress him with the flattering notion, that he was, in a masterly manner, directing their course of procedure, and richly en

sive table he was a frequent guest, and thereby obtained opportunities of acquiring the good-will of one or two other persons of the Earl's intellectual status and calibre.

CHAPTER II.

THE ARTIFICIAL RAIN COMPANY EVAPORATES; AND A REMARKABLE SCENE BETWEEN MR GAMMON AND THE EARL OF DREDDLINGTON.

THE Earl of Dreddlington was sitting to do him honour, in the same sort in his library, his table covered with of flattering and reverential manner letters and papers, one morning, with which you may conceive would be exa newspaper-the Morning Growl-hibited by a party of proudly obselying before him, and a certain portion quious East India directors, on the of the aforesaid newspaper he had occasion of their giving a banquet to read over several times, with exqui- a newly-appointed governor-general site satisfaction. He had, late on the of India! Covers had been laid for preceding evening, returned from his thirty-five; and the entertainment seat in Hertfordshire, whither he had was in all respects of a sumptuous been suddenly called on business early description-every way worthy of the in the morning; so that it was not entertainers, and their distinguishuntil the time at which he is now ed guest. Not far from the Earl, sat presented to the reader, that his lord- Mr Gammon. Methinks I see now ship had had an opportunity of perusing what was affording him such gratification-viz. a brief, but highly flattering report of a splendid whitebait dinner which had been given to him, the day before, at Blackwall, by a party of some thirty gentlemen, who were, inter nos, adroit and successful traders upon that inexhaustible capital, public credulity, as founders, managers, and directors, of various popular joint-stock companies; and the progress of which, in public estimation, had been materially accelerated, by the countenance of so distinguished a nobleman, as the Right Hon. the Earl of Dreddlington, G.C.B., &c. &c. &c.*

When his lordship's carriage, containing himself, in evening dress, and wearing his red ribbon, with one or two foreign orders, and also his son-in-law, the member for Yatton, who was dressed in the highest style of fashionable elegance, drew up opposite the doorway of the hotel, his lordship was received, on alighting, by several of those who had assembled

* See APPENDIX.

his gentlemanly figure-his dark-blue coat, white waistcoat, and simple black stock-his calm smile, the sarcasm that occasionally flickered about his compressed lips, his keen watchful eye, his well-developed forehead, suggesting to you a capability of the highest kind of intellectual action. There was a subdued cheerfulness in his manner, which was bland and fascinating as ever; and towards the great man of the day, he exhibited such a marked air of deference as was indeed, to the object of it, most delicious, and seductive.

The poor Earl soon mounted into the seventh heaven of delight; he had never experienced anything of this sort before; he felt GLORIFIED - for such qualities were eloquently attributed to him, in the after-dinner speeches, as even he had not before imagined the existence of in himself. His ears were ravished with the sound of his own praises. He was infinitely more intoxicated by the magnificent compliments which he received, than by the unusual, but still not excessive,

quantity of champagne which he had What practical tact and judgment half-unconsciously taken during din- he felt conscious of exhibiting, while ner; the combined effect of all being, to directing the experienced energies produce a state of delightful excite- of mercantile men, and capitalists! ment which he had never known be- How proud and delighted at the share fore. Mr Titmouse, M.P., also came he was taking in steering the comin for his share of laudation, and made mercial enterprise of the country into said the report in the Morning proper quarters, and towards proper Growl-a brief but spirited speech, in objects! And, moreover, while he return for the compliment of his was thus benefiting his country, he health being proposed. At length, was also sensibly augmenting his it being time to think of returning own private revenue. In his place in to town, his lordship withdrew, Sir the House of Lords, also, he displayed Sharper Bubble, the chairman, and a wonderful energy, and manifested others, attending him bareheaded to surprising interest in all fiscal queshis carriage, which his lordship and tions started there. He was, conTitmouse having entered, were driven sequently, nominated one of a Comoff, amidst the bows and courteous in-mittee, into the appointment of which clinations of the gentlemen standing he, and one or two others like him, upon and around the steps. Tit- had teased and worried their Lordmouse almost immediately fell asleep, ships to inquire into the best mode of overpowered by the prodigious quan- facilitating the formation, extending tity of wine which he had swallowed; the operations, and limiting the liaand thus left the Earl, who was him- bilities of Joint Stock Companies; self in a much more buoyant humour and asked at least three times as than usual with him, to revel in recol- many questions of the witnesses called lections of the homage which he had before them, as any other member of been receiving. Now, this was the af the Committee. He also began to fair, of which a flourishing though brief feel still loftier aspirations. His lordaccount, privately paid for by the gen- ship was not without hopes that the tleman who sent it, appeared in the declining health of Sir Miserable Morning Growl, with a magnificent Muddle, the president of the Board of speech of his lordship's about free Trade, would soon open a prospect for trade, and the expansive principles of his lordship's accession to office, as commercial enterprise, and so forth the successor of that enlightened 'Twas true, that the Earl had no re- statesman; feeling conscious that the collection of having either meditated mercantile part of the community the delivery of any such speech, or would look with great satisfaction actually delivered it but he might upon such an appointment, and that have done so for all that, and possibly thereby the King's government would did. He read over the whole account be materially strengthened. As for several times, as I have already said; matter of a more directly business and at the moment of his being pre- character, I may mention, that his sented to the reader, sitting in his easy- lordship was taking active measures chair, and with the newspaper lying be- towards organising the company which fore him, he was in a delightful state has already been alluded to, for the of feeling. He secretly owned, that purchase of the Isle of Dogs, and he could not conceive himself entirely working the invaluable mines of copundeserving of the compliments which per, lead, and coal which lay underhad been paid to him. Considerably neath. These and other matters fully advanced though he was in life, he occupied his lordship's attention, and was consciously developing energies kept him from morning to night in commensurate with the exigencies a pleasurable state of excitement and which were calling for their display activity. energies which had long lain dormant, for want of such opportunities.

Still he had his drawbacks. The inexorable premier continued to turn

The above will suffice to indicate the course taken by his lordship's thoughts on the present occasion. He sat back in his chair in a sort of reverie; having laid down his paper, and placed his gold spectacles on the little stand beside him, where lay also his massive old gold repeater. The Morning Growl of that morning was late, owing to the arrival of foreign news; but it was brought in to his lordship, just as he was beginning to open his letters. These he laid aside for a moment, in order to skim over the contents of his paper; on which he had not been long engaged, before his eye lit upon a paragraph which gave him a dreadful shock, blanching his cheek, and throwing him into an universal tremor. He read it over several times, almost doubting whether he could be reading correctly. It is possible that the experienced reader may not be taken so much by surprise, as was the Earl of Dreddlington; but the intelligence conveyed by the paragraph in question was simply this-that the ARTIFICIAL RAIN COMPANY had, so to speak, suddenly_evaporated! — And that this result had been precipitated by the astounding discovery in the City, late in the preceding afternoon, that the managing director of the Company had vanished, with all the available funds of the society-and who should this be, but the gentleman who had presided so ably the evening but one before, over the Blackwall

a deaf ear to all his solicitations for a | ingredients of bitterness, or of happimarquisate-till he began to enter-ness; that the wheat and the tares* tain the notion of transferring his happiness and anxiety - grow up support to the opposition; and, in together. fact, he resolved upon doing so, if another session should have elapsed, without his receiving the legitimate reward of his steadfast adherence to the Liberal cause. Then, again, he became more and more painfully sensible that Lady Cecilia was not happy in her union with Mr Titmouse, and that his conduct was not calculated to make her so; in fact, his lordship began to suspect that there was a total incompatibility of tempers and dispositions which would inevitably force on a separation-under existing circumstances a measure evidently unadvisable. His lordship's numerous inquiries of Mr Gammon, as to the state of Mr Titmouse's property, met occasionally with unsatisfactory, and, as any one of clearer head than his lordship would have seen, inconsistent answers. Mr Titmouse's extravagant expenditure was a matter of notoriety; the Earl himself had been once or twice compelled to come forward, in order to assist in relieving his son-in-law's house from executions; and repeatedly reasoned and remonstrated with him on the impropriety of many parts of his conduct-Titmouse generally acknowledging, with much appearance of compunction and sincerity, that the Earl had too much ground for complaint, and protesting that he meant to change altogether, one of these days. Indeed, matters would soon have been brought to a crisis between the Earl and Titmouse, had not the former been so constantly immersed in business, as to prevent his mind from dwelling upon the various instances of Titmouse's misconduct from time to time coming under his lordship's notice. The condition of Lady Cecilia was one which gave the Earl anxiety and interest. She was enciente; and the prospect which this afforded the Earl, of the family honours continuing in a course of direct descent, gave him unspeakable satisfaction. Thus is it, in short, that no one's cup is destitute of some

*These words thus casually used in the text may remind one of a passage in the New Testament; of vast significance, when applied to the moral condition of mankind.-In the parable of the Tares and the Wheat, when the sower's servants proposed to go and gather up the tares at once, the awful answer is and then, the tares are first to be gathered -Nay, let both grow together until the harvest; together, and bound in bundles, to be burned. The tares had been sown by an enemy; but were not to be rooted up when first they apwith them :-Words these worthy of propeared, lest the wheat should be rooted up found reflection.

dinner to his lordship, viz. Sir SHARPER | clerks were visible-no servants, no BUBBLE! The plain fact was, that porters or messengers; no books, or