"As to you," continued Alfred, " I find you the same as ever. Nothing is changed about you, unless it be the cut of your coat, the make of your waistcoat, and the tie of your cravat. Besides you are as young, as handsome, and as fine as ever you were. It is the privilege of bachelors. But now, tell me truly, are you not getting tired of the excited life you are leading. Believe me, for I speak from experience, true happiness does not consist in the bustle of a club, nor the noise of a racecourse, nor the excitement of a sailing-match ; and then there is the terrible moment when all those ruinous pleasures and wasteful prodigalities must end. It is not every one who has the same good luck as I have. Look then to your affairs in time, and economise before it be too late. I hope that the example and the sight of my happiness will determine you."
"Then are you really very happy ?" enquired Mandeville. 66 Why should I not be so ? I have a wife that adores me; for she married me, notwithstanding my want of means, and when she might have looked for a millionaire. My father-in-law is an excellent fellow ; and as to my mother-in-law, she is the tenderest creature living ; and, besides this, thirty thousand a year in the funds what can a man desire more ?" " How ! had your wife thirty thousand a year fortune ?" "No, no, not exactly ; but that is what my father-inlaw is worth, and I enjoy it. There was no settlement made on my wife at our marriage, as I had no property of my own ; but then all that he has we have all in common ; and we live in a perfect state of harmony. Ours is indeed a blessed family of love." "But, then, do you pass all the year in this countryhouse ?" "Oh ! not at all. During four or five months, at the winter season, we remove to the city." " The Missis is calling for you," said the gardener, who this moment stepped up to Alfred. "Indeed, my good friend," said Mr. Creed, " your gardener appears to be an oddity. He cultivates his flowers and trains his plants admirably ; but I have not so good an opinion of his politeness or his comprehension. But a few minutes since, when we asked to see Mr. Egremont, he did not appear to understand us." "That is byno means astonishing," replied Egremont, a little embarrassed ; "for they scarcely know me here by that name ; the family never call me anything but Alfred ; and then I must tell you, that my father-in-law has a particular veneration for the name of Dobbs. He himself has made it illustrious upon ' change. He is, therefore, justly proud of it, and wishes to transmit it to his grandchildren- when he has them. I therefore have yielded to his wishes on that trifling point, and I have added my wife's name to my own, and, there-
fore, I always now sign my letters, Alfred Egremont Dobbs." "That is it—and the Dobbs, that has money, crushes down the Egremont, that is without it." 66 Yes ; but I would not at all have yielded the point if my father-in-law had a son. But one may well consent to make their name a little longer, when they marry an only daughter and a rich heiress.” "No doubt ; money commands every thing. But talking of money reminds me that I have a trifle to give you. Our friend Ronayne has just come in for his property. The large fortune he has inherited has sharpened his memory, and he is paying off his old debts. Knowing, then, that we were coming to see you, he desired us to give you a hundred dollars ; that being the sum you lent him when he wanted it, and you did not care to lose it. Here they are." "That is very good indeed," observed Alfred ; " give them to me." And as he dropped them into his fob he whispered to his friends, " You need not say anything about this either to my wife or her father and mother." “ I understand you. You wish to keep the money for yourself alone ; and not to throw it into the common stock, in which you all participate." "Precisely so ; but now go and wait for me in the drawing-room, whilst I hasten to my wife. I shall not be a moment away from you." The aspect of this room was far from corresponding with the notion that the two friends had formed of the comfort and luxuries that would be introduced by Alfred into the house of his father. The room was covered with a carpet that was much too small for it ; the chairs were all wrapped up in dark cotton ; the same thing was upon the sofas. Upon the chimney-slab were some old physic bottles, half-filled with water, and into which had been driven the ends of some withered flowers. The mirror was papered up, and on an old brass-rimmed clock were three miserable birds impaled. While the two friends were examining this chamber they heard the murmuring noise of an angry discussion in the room over-head, and in that debate the voice of Alfred could scarcely be heard. "Poor fellow," said the friends, " we fear we have done you no service by coming here. They are finding fault with you for our visit." In an instant after the family appeared ; and the faces that had been lately frowning with rage, were rendered frightful by imitating, most vilely, a smile of satisfaction. Alfred, however, plucked up some of his former courage and went through the ceremony of introducing his wife and her relations with some of his wonted case and grace. When the parties had saluted each other, he said aside to his friends"Well ; what do you think of Mrs. Egremont ?” 66 Wh -ve we ry ll." y "She is not exactly beautiful," he added ; "but then
