st and billiard player;
so much so, that in many of these towns, the people used to refuse, at
last, to play with me, knowing how far I was their superior. Fancy my
surprise, about five years after the Portsmouth affair, when strolling
one day up the High Street, in Leamington, my eyes lighted upon a young
man, whom I remembered in a certain butcher's yard, and elsewhere--no
other, in fact, than Dobble. He, too, was dressed en militaire, with
a frogged coat and spurs; and was walking with a showy-looking,
Jewish-faced, black-haired lady, glittering with chains and rings, with
a green bonnet and a bird-of-Paradise--a lilac shawl, a yellow gown,
pink silk stockings, and light-blue shoes. Three children, and a
handsome footman, were walking behind her, and the party, not seeing me,
entered the "Royal Hotel" together.

I was known myself at the "Royal," and calling one of the waiters,
learned the names of the lady and gentleman. He was Captain Dobble, the
son of the rich army-clothier, Dobble (Dobble, Hobble and Co. of Pall
Mall);--the lady was a Mrs. Manasseh, widow of an American Jew, living
quietly at Leamington with her children, but possessed of an immense
property. There's no use to give one's self out to be an absolute
pauper: so the fact is, that I myself went everywhere with the character
of a man of very large means. My father had died, leaving me immense
sums of money, and landed estates. Ah! I was the gentleman then, the
real gentleman, and everybody was too happy to have me at table.

Well, I came the next day, and left a card for Dobble, with a note. He
neither returned my visit, nor answered my note. The day after, however,
I met him with the widow, as before; and going up to him, very kindly
seized him by the hand, and swore I was--as really was the case--charmed
to see him. Dobble hung back, to my surprise, and I do believe the
creature would have cut me, if he dared; but I gave him a frown, and
said--

"What, Dobble, my boy, don't you recollect old Stubbs, and our adventure
with the butcher's daughters--ha?"

Dobble gave a sickly kind of grin, and said, "Oh! ah! yes! It is--yes!
it is, I believe, Captain Stubbs."

"An old comrade, Madam, of Captain Dobble's, and one who has heard so
much, and seen so much of your ladyship, that he must take the liberty
of begging his friend to introduce him."

Dobble was obliged to take the hint; and Captain Stubbs was duly
presented to Mrs. Manasseh. The lady was a