d he rather plumed himself on his knowledge of the world.
He had yet to learn the lesson that consistency alone can secure
respect. He had indeed ventured at first to remark, "Don't you think
the stage a little--just a little--objectionable?"

"Objectionable," said Bruce, with a bland smile; "oh, my dear fellow,
what can you mean? Why, the stage is a mirror of the world, and to show
virtue her own image is one of its main objects."

"Yes," said Hazlet, "I am inclined to think so. I should like to see a
theatre, I confess."

He had let slip unintentionally the implied admission that he had never
been to a theatre; but when Fitzurse asked in astonishment, "What, have
you never been to a theatre?" he merely replied, "Well, I can hardly say
I have; at least not for a long time."

"Oh, then we must all run down to London some night very soon," said
Bruce, "and we'll go together to the Regent."

"But I've no friend in London, except--except a clergyman or two, who
perhaps might object, you know."

"Oh, never mind the clergymen," said Bruce; "you shall all come and stay
with me at Vyvyan House."

Here was a triumph!--to go to the celebrated Vyvyan House, and that in
company with a lord, and to be a partaker of Bruce's hospitality! Of
course it would be very rude and wrong to refuse so eligible an
invitation. How pleasant it would be to remark casually at hall-time,
"I'm just going to run down for the Sunday to Vyvyan House with Bruce
and Lord Fitzurse!"

"Let me see," said Bruce, "to-day's Monday; supposing you come to wine
with me on Thursday, and then we'll see if we can't manage to get to
London from Saturday to Monday."

"Thursday--I'm afraid I've an engagement on Thursday to--"

"To what?" asked Bruce.

The more Hazlet coloured and hung back, the more Bruce, in his agreeable
way, pressed to know, till at last Hazlet, unable to escape such genial
importunity, reluctantly confessed that it was to a prayer-meeting in a
friend's rooms.

"Oh," said Bruce, with the least little laugh, "tea and hassocks, eh?"
He said no more, but the little, scornful laugh, and the few scornful
words had done their work more effectually than a volume of ridicule.
It need not be added that Hazlet came, not to the prayer-meeting, but to
the wine-party. Cards were introduced in the evening, and one of the
players was Kennedy. Kennedy played often now, but he certainly did
feel a qualm of intense and irrepressible disgust as, w