City! I warrant he hadn't his opera-hat on when he went to chapel with
her ladyship the next morning--that very morning, as sure as my name's
John Giles.

"When the old lady was gone, Mr. Hobson had no need of any more
humbugging, but took his pleasure freely. Fighting, tandems,
four-in-hand, anything. He and his brother--his elder brother by a
quarter of an hour--were always very good friends; but after Mr. Brian
married, and there was only court-cards at his table, Mr. Hobson couldn't
stand it. They weren't of his suit, he said; and for some time he said he
wasn't a marrying man--quite the contrary; but we all come to our fate,
you know, and his time came as mine did. You know we married sisters? It
was thought a fine match for Polly Smith, when she married the great Mr.
Newcome; but I doubt whether my old woman at home hasn't had the best of
it, after all; and if ever you come Bernard Street way on a Sunday, about
six o'clock, and would like a slice of beef and a glass of port, I hope
you'll come and see us."

Do not let us be too angry with Colonel Newcome's two most respectable
brothers, if for some years they neglected their Indian relative, or held
him in slight esteem. Their mother never pardoned him, or at least by any
actual words admitted his restoration to favour. For many years, as far
as they knew, poor Tom was an unrepentant prodigal, wallowing in bad
company, and cut off from all respectable sympathy. Their father had
never had the courage to acquaint them with his more true, and kind, and
charitable version of Tom's story. So he passed at home for no better
than a black sheep; his marriage with a penniless young lady did not tend
to raise him in the esteem of his relatives at Clapham; it was not until
he was a widower, until he had been mentioned several times in the
Gazette for distinguished military service, until they began to speak