nd Mr. Leslie's near connection," said he, with a polite but
grave smile.

"Oh," said Avenel, "public men, whom we pay, are public
property,--aren't they, my Lord?" appealing to Spendquick.

"Certainly," said Spendquick, with great spirit,--"public property, or
why should we pay them? There must be a very strong motive to induce us
to do that! I hate paying people. In fact," he subjoined in an aside, "I
never do."

"However," resumed Mr. Avenel, graciously, "I don't want to hurt your
feelings, Mr. Leslie. As to the feelings of our host, the baron, I
calculate that they have got tolerably tough by the exercise they have
gone through."

"Nevertheless," said the baron, joining in the laugh which any lively
saying by the supposed X. Y. was sure to excite, "nevertheless, 'love
me, love my dog,'--love me, love my Egerton."

Randal started, for his quick ear and subtle intelligence caught
something sinister and hostile in the tone with which Levy uttered this
equivocal comparison, and his eye darted towards the baron. But the
baron had bent down his face, and was regaling himself upon an olive.

By-and-by the party rose from table. The four young noblemen had their
engagements elsewhere, and proposed to separate without re-entering the
drawing-room. As, in Goethe's theory, monads which have affinities with
each other are irresistibly drawn together, so these gay children of
pleasure had, by a common impulse, on rising from table, moved each
to each, and formed a group round the fireplace. Randal stood a little
apart, musing; the wit examined the pictures through his eye-glass; and
Mr. Avenel drew the baron towards the side-board, and there held him in
whispered conference. This colloquy did not escape the young gentlemen
round the fireplace; they glanced towards each other.

"Settling the percentage on renewal," said one, sotto voce. "X. Y. does
not seem such a very bad fellow," said another.

"He looks rich, and talks rich," said a third.

"A decided, independent way of expressing his sentiments; those moneyed
men generally have."

"Good heavens!" ejaculated Spendquick, who had been keeping his eye
anxiously fixed on the pair, "do look; X. Y. is actually taking out
his pocket-book; he is coming this way. Depend on it he has got our
bills--mine is due to-morrow!"

"And mine too," said another, edging off. "Why, it is a perfect
guet-apens."

Meanwhile, breaking away from the baron, who appeared anxious to detain