krupt gives bad bills. I never
believed I was to be solvent again."

"We must see what can be done, Loo. I know he is very hard up for money
just now; so that probably a few hundreds might do the business."

She shook her head doubtingly, but said nothing.

"A fellow-traveller of mine, unacquainted with him personally, told me
that his bills were seen everywhere about town."

"Who is your companion?"

"An Irishman called O'Shea."

"And is the O'Shea here too?" exclaimed she, laughingly.

"Yes; since he has lost his seat in the House, England has become
too hot for him. And, besides," added he, slyly, "he has told me ill
confidence that if 'the party,' as he calls them, should not give him
something, he knows of a widow somewhere near this might suit him. 'I
don't say that she's rich, mind you,' said he, 'but she's 'cute as a
fox, and would be sure to keep a man's head above water somehow.'"

Mrs. Morris held her handkerchief to her mouth, but the sense of the
ridiculous could not be suppressed, and she laughed out.

"What would I not have given to have heard him, papa!" said she, at last

"Well, it really _was_ good," said he, wiping his eyes; for he, too, had
indulged in a very hearty laugh, particularly when he narrated all the
pains O'Shea had been at to discover who Penthony Morris was, where he
came from, and what fortune he had. "'It was at first all in vain,' said
he, 'but no sooner did I begin to pay fellows to make searches for me,
than I had two, or maybe three Penthony Morrises every morning by the
post; and, what's worse, all alive and hearty!'"

"What did he do under these distressing circumstances?" asked she,
gayly.

"He said he 'd give up the search entirely. 'There 's no such bad
hunting country,' said he, 'as where there's too many foxes, and so I
determined I 'd have no more Penthony Morrises, but just go in for the
widow without any more inquiry.'"

"And have you heard the plan of his campaign?" asked she.

"He has none,--at least, I think not. He trusts to his own attractions
and some encouragement formerly held out to him."

"Indiscreet wretch!" said she, laughing; "not but he told the truth
there. I remember having given him something like what lawyers call a
retainer."

"Such a man might be very troublesome, Loo," said he, cautiously.

"Not a bit of it, papa; he might be very useful, on the contrary.
Indeed, I'm' not quite certain that I have not exactly the very service
on w