d Davis.

"I can't even guess; but no matter, the thing sounds well. You can
surely learn all about this O'Reilly?"

"That's easy enough."

"I say, I say, old fellow," cried Beecher, as he flung his cigar away
and walked up and down the room briskly, "this would put us all on
our legs again. Wouldn't I 'go a heavy pot' on Rolfs stable! I 'd take
Coulton's three-year-old for the Canterbury to-morrow, I would! and give
them twelve to twenty in hundreds on the double event. We'd serve them
out, Master Grog--we'd give them such a shower-bath, old boy! They say
I'm a flat, but what will they say when A. B.'s number hangs out at the
Stand-house?"

"There's not much to do on the turf just now," said Grog, dryly. "They
've spoiled the turf," said he, as he lighted his cigar,--"clean
spoiled it. Once upon a time the gents was gents, and the legs legs, but
nowadays every one 'legs' it, as he can; so I 'd like to see who's to
make a livin' out of it!"

"There's truth in that!" chimed in Beecher.

"So that," resumed Grog, "if you go in for this girl, don't you be
making a book; there's plenty better things to be had now than the ring.
There's companies, and banks, and speculations on every hand. You buy in
at, say thirty, and sell out at eighty, ninety, or a hundred. I 've been
a meditating over a new one I 'll tell you about another time,--let us
first think about this here marriage,--it ain't impossible."

"Impossible! I should think not, Master Grog. But you will please to
remember that Lackington has no child. I must succeed to the whole
thing,--title and all."

"Good news for the Jews, would n't it be?" cried Davis. "Why, your
outlying paper would n't leave much of a margin to live on. You owe
upwards of a hundred thousand,--that you do."

"I could buy the whole concern to-morrow for five-and twenty thousand
pounds. They can't touch the entail, old fellow!"

"My word on't, they 'd have it out of you, one way or other; but never
mind, there's time enough to think of these things,--just stir yourself
about this marriage."

"I 'll start on Monday. I have one or two trifling matters to look after
here, and then I 'm free."

"What's this in the turn-down of Lackington's letter marked '_Strictly_
confidential'?

"'I meant to have despatched this yesterday, but fortunately
deferred doing so--fortunately, I say--as Davenport Dunn has
just arrived here, with a very important communication, in
whic