upon you,
it would find you all at sixes and sevens,--no order, no discipline
anywhere, and, what 's worse, no union. But you know it better than
I do. You see yourself that no two of you pull together; ain't that a
fact?"

Augustus shook his head mournfully, but was silent.

"I like to see people jolly, because they understand each other, and are
fond of each other, because they take pleasure in the same things, and
feel that the success of one is the success of all. There 's no merit
in being jolly over ten thousand a year and a house like Windsor Castle.
Now, just look at what is going on, I may call it, under our noses here.
Does your sister Marion care a brass farthing for Jack's misfortunes, or
does he feel a bit elated about her going to marry a viscount? Are you
fretting your heart to ribbons because that fine young gent that left us
a while ago is about to be sent envoy to Bogota? And that's fact, though
he don't know it yet," added he, in a chuckling whisper. "It's a regular
fair-weather family, and if it comes on to blow, you 'll see if there 's
a storm-sail amongst you."

"Apparently, then, you were aware of what was only divulged to me this
evening?" said Augustus. "I mean the intended marriage of Lord Culduff
to my sister."

"I should say I was aware of it. I was, so to say, promoter and
projector. It was I started the enterprise. It was that took me over
to town. I went to square that business of old Culduff. There was a
question to be asked in the House about his appointment that would have
led to a debate, or what they call a conversation--about the freest
kind of after-dinner talk imaginable--and they 'd have ripped up the
old reprobate's whole life--and I assure _you_ there are passages in it
would n't do for the 'Methodists' Magazine'--so I went over to negotiate
a little matter with Joel, who had, as I well knew, a small sheaf of
Norton's bills. I took Joel down to Greenwich to give him a fish-dinner,
and talk the thing over, and we were right comfortable and happy over
some red Hermitage,--thirty shillings a bottle, mind you,--when we
heard a yell, just a yell, from the next room, and in walks--whom do you
think?--Norton himself, with his napkin in his hand--he was dining with
a set of fellows from the Garrick, and he swaggered in and sat down at
our table. 'What infernal robbery are you two concocting here?' said
he. 'When the waiter told me who were the fellows at dinner together, I
said, Th