was the evening suit of
a gentleman, and I cannot perceive the immodesty of showing my leg. A
dress that is not indecent, and is becoming to me, and is the dress
of my fathers, I wear, and I impose it on the generation of my sex.
However, I dined Hickson of the Fourth Estate (Jorian considers him
hungry enough to eat up his twentieth before he dies--I forget the
wording of the mot), that he might know I was without rancour in the
end, as originally I had been without any intention of purchasing
his allegiance. He offered me his columns; he wished me luck with the
heiress; by his Gods, he swore he worshipped entrechats, and held a
silk leg the most admirable work of the manufactures. "Sir, you're a
gentleman," says he; "you're a nobleman, sir; you 're a prince, you 're
a star of the first magnitude." Cries Jorian, "Retract that, scum!
you see nothing large but what you dare to think neighbours you," and
quarrels the inebriate dog. And this is the maker and destroyer of
reputations in his day! I study Hickson as a miraculous engine of the
very simplest contrivance; he is himself the epitome of a verdict on his
period. Next day he disclaimed in his opposition penny sheet the report
of the entrechats, and "the spectators laughing consumedly," and sent
me (as I had requested him to do) the names of his daughters, to whom I
transmit little comforting presents, for if they are nice children such
a parent must afflict them.

'Cultivate Lady Wilts. You have made an impression. She puts you forward
as a good specimen of our young men. 'Hem! madam.

'But, my dear boy, as I said, we cannot revive the past. I acknowledge
it. Bath rebukes my last fit of ambition, and the experience is very
well worth the expense. You have a mind, Richie, for discussing
outlay, upon which I congratulate you, so long as you do not overlook
equivalents. The system of the world is barter varied by robbery. Show
that you have something in hand, and you enjoy the satisfaction of
knowing that you were not robbed. I pledge you my word to it--I shall
not repeat Bath. And mark you, an heiress is never compromised. I am
not, I hope, responsible for every creature caught up in my circle of
attraction. Believe me, dear boy, I should consult you, and another one,
estimable beyond mortal speech! if I had become involved--impossible!
No; I am free of all fresh chains, because of the old ones. Years will
not be sufficient for us when you and I once begin to talk in