he
tradesfolk, there is good Mrs. Ridley and Mr. Sherrick--we must see
them; and, if we can, set this luckless Charles again on his legs. We
have read of other prodigals who were kindly treated; and we may have
debts of our own to forgive, boys."

Into Mr. Sherrick's account we had no need to enter. That gentleman had
acted with perfect fairness by Honeyman. He laughingly said to us, "You
don't imagine I would lend that chap a shilling without security? I
will give him fifty or a hundred. Here's one of his notes, with
What-do-you-call-'ems--that rum fellow Bayham's name as drawer. A nice
pair, ain't they? Pooh! I shall never touch 'em. I lent some money on
the shop overhead," says Sherrick, pointing to the ceiling (we were in
his counting-house in the cellar of Lady Whittlesea's Chapel), "because
I thought it was a good speculation. And so it was at first. The people
liked Honeyman. All the nobs came to hear him. Now the speculation ain't
so good. He's used up. A chap can't be expected to last for ever. When
I first engaged Mademoiselle Bravura at my theatre, you couldn't get
a place for three weeks together. The next year she didn't draw twenty
pounds a week. So it was with Pottle and the regular drama humbug. At
first it was all very well. Good business, good houses, our immortal
bard, and that sort of game. They engaged the tigers and the French
riding people over the way; and there was Pottle bellowing away in my
place to the orchestra and the orders. It's all a speculation. I've
speculated in about pretty much everything that's going: in theatres,
in joint-stock jobs, in building-ground, in bills, in gas and insurance
companies, and in this chapel. Poor old Honeyman! I won't hurt him.
About that other chap I put in to do the first business--that red-haired
chap, Rawkins--I think I was wrong. I think he injured the property.
But I don't know everything, you know. I wasn't bred to know about
parsons--quite the reverse. I thought, when I heard Rawkins at
Hampstead, he was just the thing. I used to go about, sir, just as I
did to the provinces, when I had the theatre--Camberwell, Islington,
Kennington, Clapton, all about, and hear the young chaps. Have a glass
of sherry; and here's better luck to Honeyman. As for that Colonel,
he's a trump, sir! I never see such a man. I have to deal with such a
precious lot of rogues, in the City and out of it, among the swells
and all, you know, that to see such a fellow refreshes me