plum did not drop
into his mouth, he moved on. He went up into Oxford Street, and
walked along it the whole distance to the corner of Bond Street,
passing by Grosvenor Square, to which he intended to return. At the
corner of Bond Street, a girl took hold of him, and looked up into
his face. "Ah!" she said, "I saw you once before."--"Then you saw the
most miserable devil alive," said Burgo. "You can't be miserable,"
said the girl. "What makes you miserable? You've plenty of
money."--"I wish I had," said Burgo. "And plenty to eat and drink,"
exclaimed the girl; "and you are so handsome! I remember you. You
gave me supper one night when I was starving. I ain't hungry now.
Will you give me a kiss?"--"I'll give you a shilling, and that's
better," said Burgo. "But give me a kiss too," said the girl. He gave
her first the kiss, and then the shilling, and after that he left her
and passed on. "I'm d----d if I wouldn't change with her!" he said
to himself. "I wonder whether anything really ails him?" thought the
girl. "He said he was wretched before. Shouldn't I like to be good to
such a one as him!"

Burgo went on, and made his way into the house in Grosvenor Square,
by some means probably unknown to his aunt, and certainly unknown to
his uncle. He emptied his pockets as he got into bed, and counted a
roll of notes which he had kept in one of them. There were still a
hundred and thirty pounds left. Lady Glencora had promised that she
would see him again. She had said as much as that quite distinctly.
But what use would there be in that if all his money should then be
gone? He knew that the keeping of money in his pocket was to him
quite an impossibility. Then he thought of his aunt. What should he
say to his aunt if he saw her in the course of the coming day? Might
it not be as well for him to avoid his aunt altogether?

He breakfasted up-stairs in his bedroom,--in the bed, indeed, eating
a small pate de foie gras from the supper-table, as he read a French
novel. There he was still reading his French novel in bed when his
aunt's maid came to him, saying that his aunt wished to see him
before she went out. "Tell me, Lucy," said he, "how is the old girl?"

"She's as cross as cross, Mr Burgo. Indeed, I shan't;--not a minute
longer. Don't, now; will you? I tell you she's waiting for me." From
which it may be seen that Lucy shared the general feminine feeling in
favour of poor Burgo.

Thus summoned Burgo applied himself to his