win all
hearts.

He was a "dear tormenting devil," or a "mad fellow, but withal a
true Prince Charming;" and just as he talked sound sense and
politics with the poet yesterday, so now he beat even the finest of
the ladies and their beaux at high-flown nonsense about goddesses
and heroes, and the Arcadian bowers where they made a pretence of
living and moving.

At the play, to which they went later, he moved from box to box,
from tier to tier, taking snuff with the men, saying charming
nothings to the ladies; the centre always of a laughing throng,
whose proximity must surely have been distressful to any persons so
unfashionable as to desire to listen to what the actors were
saying. He even went behind and upon the stage, as spectators were
still permitted to do, although there was less of this confusion
than a few years before; and he was eagerly welcomed wherever he
appeared.

From the play they repaired to more gay houses, where Tom speedily
lost his ten guineas at basset, but was too excited to care, and
paid over his stakes with a lordly indifference that did credit to
his powers of observation and imitation.

It was long past midnight ere they bent their steps homewards, and
then, as it was far too late to seek the shelter of Master Cale's
abode, Tom betook himself once more to Lord Claud's lodgings, and
was speedily sound asleep in the most soft and sumptuous bed it had
ever been his lot to lie upon.

CHAPTER VII. MASTER GALE'S DAUGHTER.

It was Sunday morning, and Tom was making his way, towards the hour
of noon, to the house of the perruquier, which he had quitted some
four days past, with no intention of so long an absence.

The streets were unwontedly quiet, and the cries of the apprentices
at the doors of the shops were pleasantly missed. The shops were
most of them shuttered up, and the apprentices, clad in their best,
were all away to some sport of their own selection in byways and
alleys, or lingering about the parks with a knot of footmen and
lackeys, watching the fine folk walk in and out. For the common
sort were not admitted as yet within the precincts of the parks,
and even the gentlefolks had to leave their servants behind; so
that it may well be guessed there was plenty of gossiping and
hustling to be had at the gates, if any had a taste for it.

Tom was a far finer figure coming home than he had been in going
out. He wore a coat of azure velvet, and his vest was a perfect
catarac