ere his Grace had presented her with a tenement, neat,
light, and finished; and though situated amid the wilds of Kemp Town,
not more than one hyaena on a night ventured to come down from the
adjacent heights. He had half promised to join her, because he thought
he might as well be there as here, and consequently he had not invited
a fresh supply of visitors from town, or rather from the country. As he
was hesitating about what he should do, he received a letter from his
bankers, which made him stare. He sent for the groom of the chambers,
and was informed the house was clear, save that some single men still
lingered, as is their wont. They never take a hint. His Grace ordered
his carriage; and, more alive than he had been for the last two months,
dashed off to town.

CHAPTER VI.

_The Cost of Pleasure_

THE letter from his bankers informed the Duke of St. James that not only
was the half-million exhausted, but, in pursuance of their powers, they
had sold out all his stock, and, in reliance on his credit, had advanced
even beyond it. They were ready to accommodate him in every possible
way, and to advance as much more as he could desire, at five per cent.!
Sweet five per cent.! Oh! magical five per cent.! Lucky the rogue now
who gets three. Nevertheless, they thought it but proper to call his
Grace's attention to the circumstance, and to put him in possession of
the facts. Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell
the truth.

The Duke of St. James had never affected to be a man of business; still,
he had taken it for granted that pecuniary embarrassment was not ever
to be counted among his annoyances. He wanted something to do, and
determined to look into his affairs, merely to amuse himself.

The bankers were most polite. They brought their books, also several
packets of papers neatly tied up, and were ready to give every
information. The Duke asked for results. He found that the turf,
the Alhambra, the expenses of his outfit in purchasing the lease and
furniture of his mansion, and the rest, had, with his expenditure,
exhausted his first year's income; but he reconciled himself to this,
because he chose to consider them extraordinary expenses. Then the
festivities of Pen Bronnock counterbalanced the economy of his more
scrambling life the preceding year; yet he had not exceeded his income
much. Then he came to Sir Carte's account. He began to get a little
frightened. Two hundred and