the army."

"I am in the Guards," said Frank, trying hard not to look too conceited
as he made that acknowledgment. "The governor pished a little, and would
rather I had come to live with him in the old Hall, and take to farming.
Time enough for that, eh? By Jove, Randal, how pleasant a thing is life
in London! Do you go to Almack's to-night?"

"No; Wednesday is a holiday in the House. There is a great parliamentary
dinner at Mr. Egerton's. He is in the Cabinet now, you know; but you
don't see much of your uncle, I think."

"Our sets are different," said the young gentleman, in a tone of voice
worthy of Brummel. "All those parliamentary fellows are devilish dull.
The rain's over. I don't know whether the governor would like me to call
at Grosvenor Square; but pray come and see me. Here's my card to remind
you; you must dine at our mess. Such capital fellows! What day will you
fix?"

"I will call and let you know. Don't you find it rather expensive in the
Guards? I remember that you thought the governor, as you call him, used
to chafe a little when you wrote for more pocket-money; and the only time
I ever saw you with tears in your eyes was when Mr. Hazeldean, in sending
you L5, reminded you that his estates were not entailed,--were at his own
disposal, and they should never go to an extravagant spendthrift. It was
not a pleasant threat that, Frank."

"Oh!" cried the young man, colouring deeply. "It was not the threat that
pained me; it was that my father could think so meanly of me as to fancy
that---Well, well, but those were schoolboy days. And my father was