e that well became him. "I
thought by starting early I should just catch you at breakfast, while I
also took another hour out of my Sunday,--the one day the law mercifully
bestows on such poor devils as myself,--ha, ha, ba!" And he laughed
heartily, as though insolvency was as droll a thing as could be.

"You bear up well, anyhow, Beecher," said Kellett, admiringly.

"What's the odds so long as you're happy!" cried the other, gayly.
"Never say die. They take it out in fifty per cent, but they can't work
the oracle against our good spirits, eh, Kellett? The _mens sana in
corpore_,--what d'ye call him, my lad?--that's the real thing."

"Indeed, I suppose it is!" said Kellett, not very clear as to what he
concurred in.

"There are few fellows, let me tell you, would be as light-hearted as I
am, with four writs and a judge's warrant hanging over them,--eh, Miss
Bella, what do you say to that?" said Beecher.

She smiled half sadly and said nothing.

"Ask John Scott,--ask Bicknell Morris, or any of the 'Legs' you
like,--if there's a man of them all ever bore up like me. 'Beecher's
a bar of iron,' they 'll tell you; 'that fellow can bear any amount of
hammering.' and maybe I have n't had it! And all Lackington's fault!"

"That's the worst of all!" said Kellett, who had listened to the same
accusation in the self-same words at least a hundred times before.

"Lackington is the greatest fool going! He does n't see the advantage of
pushing his family influence. He might have had me in for 'Mallow.'
Grog Davis said to him one day, 'Look now, my Lord, Annesley is the best
horse in your stable, if you 'd only stand to win on him, he is!' But
Lackington would not hear of it. He thinks me a flat! You won't believe
it, but he does!"

"Faith! he's wrong there," said Kellett, with all the emphasis of
sincerity.

"I rather suspect he is, Master Kellett. I was trained in another
school,--brought up amongst fellows would skin a cat, by Jove! What I
say is, let A. B. have a chance,--just let him in once, and see if he
won't do the thing!"

"Do you wish to be in Parliament, Mr. Beecher?" asked Bella, with a
smile of half-repressed drollery.

"Of course I do. First, there's the protection,--no bad thing as times
go; then it would be uncommon strange if I could n't 'tool the coach
into the yard' safely. They 'd have to give me a devilish good thing.
You 'd see what a thorn I 'd be in their sides. Ask Grog Davis what kind
of fellow