run away! That's right, seven hundred-and ninety, say, while you're about it! Our board meets on Saturday, and never fear I'll account for it to them before I drive you down. We shall take up the chancellor at Whitehall."

So saying Mr. Brough folded up the cheque, and shaking hands with Mr. Roundhand very cordially, got into his carriage-and-four (he always drove four horses even in the City, where it's so difficult), which was waiting at the office-door for him.

Bob Swinney used to say that he charged two of the horses to the Company; but there was never believing half of what that Bob said, he used to laugh and joke so. I don't know how it was, but I and a gent by the name of Hoskins (eleventh clerk), who lived together with me in Salisbury Square, Fleet Street, where we occupied a very genteel two-pair, found our flute duet rather tiresome that evening, and as it was a very fine night, strolled out for a walk West End way. When we arrived opposite Covent Garden Theatre we found ourselves close to the Globe Tavern, and recollected Bob Swinney's hospitable invitation. We never fancied that he had meant the invitation in earnest, but thought we might as well look in; at any rate there could be no harm in doing so.

There, to be sure, in the back drawing-room, where he said he would be, we found Bob at the head of a table and in the midst of a great smoke of cigars, and eighteen of our gents rattling and banging away at the table with the bottoms of their glasses.

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What a shout they made as we came in! Hurray!" says Bob, "here's two more! Two more chairs, Mary, two more tumblers, two more hot waters, and two more goes of gin! Who would have thought of seeing Tit, in the name of goodness?" Why," said I, we only came in by the merest chance."

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At this word there was another tremendous roar; and it is a positive fact, that every man of the eighteen had said he came by chance! However, chance gave us a very jovial night; and that hospitable Bob Swinney paid every shilling of the score.

"Gentlemen!" says he, as he paid the bill," I'll give you the health of

John Brough, Esquire, and thanks to him for the present of 217. 58, which he made me this morning. What do I say, 211. 5s.? That and a month's salary that I should have had to pay-forfeit-down on the nail, by Jingo! for leaving the shop, as I intended to do, to-morrow morning. I've got a place a tip-top place, I tell you. Five guineas a-week, six journeys a-year, my own horse and gig, and to travel in the West of England in oil and spermaceti. Here's confusion to gas, and the health of Messrs. Gann and Co. of Thames Steet, in the city of London !"

I have been thus particular in my account of the West Diddlesex Assurance Office, and of Mr. Brough, the managing director (though the real names are neither given to the office nor to the chairman, as you may be sure), because the fate of me and my diamond-pin was mysteriously bound up with both, as I am

about to shew.

You must know that I was rather respected among our gents at the West Diddlesex, because I came of a better family than most of them; had received a classical education; and especially because I had a rich aunt, Mrs. Hoggarty, about whom, as must be confessed, I used to boast a good deal. There is no harm in being respected in this world, as I have found out; and if you don't brag a little for yourself, depend on it there is no person of your acquaintance who will tell the world of your merits, and take the trouble off your hands.

So that when I came back to the office after my visit at home, and took my seat at the old day-book opposite the dingy window that looks into Birchin Lane, I pretty soon let the fellows know that Mrs. Hoggarty, though she had not given me a large sum of money, as I expected-indeed, I had promised a dozen of them a treat down the river, should the promised riches have come to me—I let them know, I say, that though my aunt had not given me any money, she had given me a splendid diamond, worth at least thirty guineas, and that some day I would sport it at the shop.

"Oh, let's see it!" says Abednego, whose father was a mock-jewel and gold-lace merchant in Hanway Yard;

and I promised that he should have a sight of it as soon as it was set. As my pocket money was run out too (by coach hire to and from home, five shillings to our maid at home, ten to my aunt's maid and man, fiveand-twenty shillings lost at whist, as I said, and fifteen and six paid for a silver scissors for the dear little fingers of Somebody), Roundhand, who was very good-natured, asked me to dine, and advanced me 77. 1s. 8d., a month's salary. It was at Roundhand's house, Myddelton Square, Pentonville, over a fillet of veal and bacon, and a glass of port, that I learned and saw how his wife ill-treated him, as I have told before. Poor fellow!-we underclerks all thought it was a fine thing to sit at a desk by oneself, and have 50l. per month, as Roundhand had; but I've a notion that Hoskins and I, blowing duets on the flute together in our second floor in Salisbury Square, were a great deal more at ease than our head-and more in harmony too, though we made sad work of the music, certainly.

One day Gus Hoskins and I asked leave from Roundhand to be off at three o'clock, as we had particular business at the west end. He knew it was about the great Hoggarty diamond, and gave us permission; so off we set. When we reached St. Martin's Lane, Gus got a cigar, to give himself, as it were, a distingué air, and puffed at it all the way up the Lane, and through the alleys into Coventry Street, where Mr. Polonius's shop is, as every body knows.

The door was open, and a number of carriages full of ladies were drawing up and setting down. Gus kept his hands in his pockets-trousers were worn very full then, with large tucks, and pigeon-holes for your boots, or Bluchers, to come through (the fashionables wore boots, but we chaps in the City, on 80l. a-year, contented ourselves with Bluchers); and as Gus stretched out his pantaloons as wide as he could from his hips, and kept blowing away at his cheroot, and clamping with the iron heels of his boots, and had very large whiskers for so young a man, he really looked quite the genteel thing, and was taken by every body to be a person of consideration.

He would not come into the shop though, but stood staring at the gold

pots and kettles in the window outside. I went in; and after a little hemming and hawing, for I had never been at such a fashionable place before, asked one of the gentlemen to let me speak to Mr. Polonius.

"What can I do for you, sir?" says Mr. Polonius, who was standing close by as it happened, serving three ladies, a very old one, and two young ones, who were examining pearl necklaces very attentively.

Sir," said I, producing my jewel out of my coat-pocket, "this jewel has, I believe, been in your house before it belonged to my aunt, Mrs. Hoggarty, of Castle Hoggarty." The old lady standing near looked round as I spoke.

"I sold her a gold neck-chain and repeating-watch in the year 1795," said Mr. Polonius, who made it a point to recollect every thing; "and a silver punch-ladle to the captain. How is the major-colonel-general -ay, sir ?"

"The general," said I, "I am sorry to say," though I was quite proud that this man of fashion should address me so," Mr. Hoggarty is-no more. My aunt has made me a present, however, of this-this trinket, which as you see contains her husband's portrait, that I will thank you, sir, to preserve for me very carefully; and she wishes that you would set this diamond neatly."

"Neatly and handsomely, of course, sir."

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Neatly, in the present fashion; and send down the account to her. There is a great deal of gold about the trinket, for which, of course, you will make an allowance."

"To the last fraction of a sixpence," says Mr. Polonius, bowing, and looking at the pearl. "It's a wonderful piece of goods, certainly," said he; "though the diamond's a neat little bit, certainly. Do, my lady, look at it. The thing is of Irish manufacture, bears the stamp of '95, and will recall, perhaps, the times of your ladyship's earliest youth."

"Get ye out, Mr. Polonius !" said the old lady, a little weazen-faced old lady, with her face puckered up in a million of wrinkles: "How dar you, sir, to talk such nonsense to an old woman like me? Wasn't I fifty years old in '95, and a grandmother in '96 ?" She put out a pair of

Gus's chain was mosaic I can't tell; but so it was, and we had bought it for five-and-twenty and sixpence only the week before at M'Phail's, in St. Paul's Churchyard. But I did not like to hear my friend abused, and so spoke out for him,-

"Ma'am," says I, "that young gentleman's name is Augustus Hoskins. We live together; and a better or more kind-hearted fellow does not exist."

"You are quite right to stand up for your friends, sir," said the second lady, whose name, it appears, was Lady Jane, but whom the grandmamma called Lady Jene.

"Well, upon me canscience, so he is now, Lady Jene; and I like sper't in a young man. So his name is

Hoskins, is it? I know, my dears, all the Hoskinses in England. There are the Lincolnshire Hoskinses, the Shropshire Hoskinses: they say the admiral's daughter, Bell, was in love with a black footman, or boatswain, or some such thing; but the world's so censorious. There's old Doctor Hoskins of Bath, who attended poor dear Doldrum in the quinsy. And poor, dear, old Fred Hoskins, the gouty general: I remember him as thin as a lath in the year '84, and as active as a harlequin, and in love with me-oh, how he was in love with me!"

"You seem to have had a host of admirers in those days, grandmamma?" said Lady Jane.

"Hundreds, my dear,- hundreds of thousands. I was the toast of Bath, and a great beauty, too; would you ever have thought it now, upon your conscience and without flattery, Mr.-a-What-d'ye-call-'em ?"

"Indeed, ma'am, I never should," I answered, for the old lady was as ugly as possible; and at my saying this the two young ladies began screaming with laughter, and I saw the two great-whiskered footmen grinning over the back of the carriage.

"Upon my word, you're mighty candid, Mr. What's-your-name mighty candid, indeed; but I like candour in young people. But a beauty I was. Just ask your friend's uncle the general. He's one of the Lincolnshire Hoskinses-I knew he was by the strong family likeness. Is he the eldest son? It's a pretty

VOL. XXIV, NO, CXLI.

property, though sadly encumbered; for old Sir George was the divvle of a man-a friend of Hanbury Williams, and Lyttleton, and those horrid, monstrous, ojous people! How much will he have now, mister, when the admiral dies ?"

"Why, ma'am, I can't say; but the admiral is not my friend's father."

"Not his father?-but he is, I tell you, and I'm never wrong. Who is his father, then ?"

"Ma'am, Gus's father's a leatherseller in Skinner Street, Snow Hill, -a very respectable house, ma'am. But Gus is only third son, and so can't expect a great share in the property."

The two young ladies smiled at this—the old lady said, “Hwat ?”—— but the two footmen began to roar out in a regular fit of laughter.

"Those gents on the footboard seem to think it a very good joke, ma'am," says I, "that my friend Augustus Hoskins should be a leather-seller's son. I hope there's no offence."

"Those―gents-are very impertinent," said Lady Jane; " and I like you, sir, for not being ashamed of your friends, whatever their rank of life may be. Shall we have the pleasure of setting you down any where, Mr. Titmarsh ?"

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Noways particular, my lady," says I. "We have a holyday at our office to-day-at least, Roundhand gave me and Gus leave; and I shall be very happy, indeed, to take a drive in the Park, if it's no offence."

"I'm sure it will give us-infinite pleasure," said Lady Jane, though rather in a grave way.

"Oh, that it will!" says Lady Fanny, clapping her hands: "won't it, grandmamma? And after we have been in the Park, we can walk in Kensington Gardens, if Mr. Titmarsh will be good enough to accompany

us."

shoulders, and did not say a single word more. Lady Fanny, who was as gay as a young kitten (if I may be allowed so to speak of the aristocracy), laughed, and blushed, and giggled, and seemed quite to enjoy her sister's ill-humour. And the countess began at once, and entered into the history of the thirteen Miss Hoggarties, which was not near finished when we entered the Park.

When there, you can't think what hundreds of gents on horseback came to the carriage and talked to the ladies. They had their joke for Lady Doldrum, who seemed to be a character in her way; their bow for Lady Jane; and, the young ones especially, their compliment Lady Fanny.

for

Though she bowed and blushed, as a young lady should, Lady Fanny seemed to be thinking of something else, for she kept her head out of the carriage, looking eagerly among the horsemen, as if she expected to see somebody. Aha! my Lady Fanny, I knew what it meant when a young pretty lady like you was absent, and on the look-out, and only half answered the questions put to her. Let alone Sam Titmarsh-he knows what Somebody means as well as another, I warrant. As I saw these manoeuvres going on, I could not help just giving a wink to Lady Jane, as much as to say I knew what was what. "I guess the young lady is looking for Somebody," says I. It was then her turn to look queer, I assure you, and she blushed as red as scarlet; but, after a minute, the good-natured little thing looked at her sister, and both the young ladies put their handkerchiefs up to their faces, and began laughing-laughing as if I had said the funniest thing in the world.

"Il est impayable, votre monsieur," said Lady Jane to her grandmamma. And on which I bowed, and said, "Madame, vous me faites beaucoup d'honneur;" for I know the French language, and was pleased to find that these good ladies had taken a liking to me. "I'm a poor humble lad, ma'am, not used to London society, and do really feel it quite kind of you to take me by the hand so, and give me a drive in your fine carriage."

At this minute a gentleman on a

black horse, with a pale face, and a tuft to his chin, came riding up to the carriage; and I knew by a little start that Lady Fanny gave, and by her instantly looking Yound the other way, that Somebody was come at last.

"Lady Doldrum,” said he, “your most devoted servant! I have been just riding with a gentleman who almost shot himself for love of the beautiful Countess of Doldrum in the year- never mind the year."

"Was it Killblazes ?" said the lady: "he's a dear old man, and I'm quite ready to go off with him this minute. Or was it that delight of an old bishop? He's got a lock of my hair now I gave it him when he was papa's chaplain; and let me tell you it would be a hard matter to find another now in the same place."

"Law, my lady!" says I, "you don't say so ?"

"But, indeed, I do, my good sir," says she; "for, between ourselves, my head's as bare as a cannon-ball -ask Fanny if it isn't. Such a fright as the poor thing got when she was a babby, and came upon me suddenly in my dressing-room without my wig!"

"I hope Lady Fanny has recovered from the shock," said "Somebody," looking first at her, and then at me as if he had a mind to swallow me. And, would you believe it? all that Lady Fanny could say was, Pretty well, I thank you, my lord;"

and she said this with as much Huttering and blushing as we used to say our Virgil at school-when we hadn't learned it.

My lord still kept on looking very fiercely at me, muttered something about having hoped to find a seat in Lady Doldrum's carriage, as he was tired of riding; on which Lady Fanny muttered something, too, about “a friend of grandmamma's."

"You should say a friend of yours, Fanny," says Lady Jane: "I am sure we never should have come to the Park if Fanny had not insisted upon bringing Mr. Titmarsh hither. Let me introduce the Earl of Tiptoff to Mr. Titmarsh." But, instead of taking off his hat, as I did mine, his lordship growled out that he hoped for another opportunity, and galloped off again on his black horse. Why the deuce I should have of