t Tom only laughed. He had passed through many perils of late,
and he felt that in the heart of this great city he could take care
of himself. A sort of careless self confidence had been his chief
peril through life, and his association with Lord Claud had not
tended to diminish it. In the presence of his patron, indeed, he
often felt of little account; but elsewhere he fancied himself
something of a hero, and was by no means disposed to tremble before
the malevolence of a set of swaggering bullies.

The town was very gay this bright springtide, and Tom was more than
ready to plunge into the vortex of such amusements as were open to
him. His lack of funds did not embarrass him, as Harry was ready to
lend him money, and he had some success at the dicing tables in
those coffee houses which he frequented. Gambling had not any great
attractions for him, but a little excitement did not come amiss,
and the fascination of winning was powerful.

Sometimes he was persuaded to try his luck at basset or ombre, and
here his lack of knowledge of the games often caused him to lose.
But he cared little, telling himself that he should soon have his
share of the reward offered by the Duke to his secret messengers;
and he plunged more and more deeply into debt, rather by way of
passing the time than for any particular delight in play. He had
not yet acquired strength enough to decline to share the amusements
of those about him. He kept up his sword practice in the mornings,
and took long walks with Harry Gay to visit different places of
interest in and about the city; but the afternoon and evening were
usually spent in some place of amusement, and little by little Tom
became impatient for his money. He had borrowed several times from
Harry; but he thought he ought to be hearing something from Lord
Claud.

At last he called at his rooms, and asked for him. He was asked to
wait, as Lord Claud was expected home shortly, and Tom's face was
well known to the valet. He went up to the familiar room, but noted
with surprise how many pictures and curios were missing from their
places. The rooms were comfortable, even luxurious, but they lacked
the costly elegance which had characterized them before. It seemed
to Tom as though Lord Claud must have been in need of money, too,
and have been selling his valuables to keep himself in funds. That
seemed a strange shift for one to whom the state owed so heavy a
debt.

Tom had perhaps sat still wait