insolitude."
"You do not look as if you had often been melancholy," said Harry."However, I shall be very happy to be at your service whenever youchoose to command me."
"Very prettily spoken," answered Martha.
When Harry glanced round at his six blooming cousins he felt that theywere not likely often to be left in solitude. There were a few otherguests at table--Alderman Bycroft and his wife and daughter; one afull-blown rose, the other a bursting bud, giving promise of the samefull proportions as her mother.
There was a young gentleman, the son of a wealthy distiller, dressed inthe height of fashion, who seemed to consider that he was greatlyhonouring Mr. Coppinger's family by his presence, and there was anotheryouth of unpretending appearance, who looked as if he felt himselfhighly honoured by the invitation, though he had in reality taken a highdegree at the University, and was the descendant of a long line of proudancestors.
The distiller, Mr. Gilby, was inclined to patronise Harry, especiallywhen he heard Lady Tryon spoken of.
"I will show you a little of London life, my boy," he whispered. "Youknow nothing of it as yet, and unless you had a friend like me tointroduce you, you might live ten years here and know no more of the insand outs and doings of this great city than you do now."
"Mr. Tryon would thereby, I suspect, be more fortunate than if he wereintroduced to the ways of London as you suggest," observed Mr. Pennant,the pale-faced young student.
"I hope you enjoyed your dinner at your uncle's, yesterday," said Mr.Silas Sleech, as Harry took his seat near him at his office desk thenext morning. "Fine girls your cousins, don't you think? I dine theresometimes, and I then always mind my P's and Q's. I flatter myself Istand well there with the fairer portion of the family, and of courseour principal has a great respect for my uprightness and integrity," anda curious leer came into Mr. Sleech's eyes which he could not repress."Who was there, Tryon?"
Harry told him.
"Oh! young Gilby! was he? He's a rollicking blade. He offered tointroduce you into London society, did he? Why, he knows nothing aboutit. Do not trust him. He would only take you to a few low haunts,where you would see enough certainly of what he calls life. He invitedyou to dine with him a week hence, did he? Well, then, come with meto-night, and before that time I will enable you to show him that youknow far more of London life than he does. But, mum, here comes yourrespected guardian, Mr. Roger Kyffin. Will this pen suit you, Mr.Tryon?" he said, in a loud voice. "A good handwriting is an importantmatter in the qualifications of a young clerk."
Harry scarcely knew what to think of Silas Sleech. His manner offendedhim, but he seemed good-natured and obliging; so he thought to himself,"I will take him as I find him, and he is more likely to initiate meinto real London life than that young fop Gilby." Harry agreed,therefore, to dine with Mr. Sleech that evening at a coffee-house, andto accompany him afterwards to some place of amusement.
Harry Tryon was not a hero of romance. He had never got into anyserious scrape, but then he had not been much tempted. He was now to beleft very much to his own resources. His kind guardian had formed ahigher opinion of him than he perhaps deserved. He also held Mr. Sleechin considerable esteem. It is surprising that he did so, but the factwas, that that individual was a most consummate hypocrite--he otherwisewould not certainly have deceived such acute observers as Mr. Coppingerand his managing clerk. Harry could not have met with a worse person asa companion in London. Young Gilby might have led him into scrapes,while the other, by imbuing him with his own principles, and introducinghim to profligates and designing knaves, might injure his futureprospects, and destroy him body and soul, as many another young man hasbeen destroyed. Harry, when he accepted Mr. Sleech's profferedcivilities, had no conception of the dangerous course into which he wasabout to lead him. He remembered old Sleech at Lynderton, asmooth-spoken, oily-tongued, civil gentleman, profuse in his bows togentlemen on horseback or ladies in their carriages, but very apt tobutton up his breeches pockets at the approach of a supplicant. As tohis character he knew nothing, except that he was looked upon as alawyer of sharp practice. Once upon a time Harry would not have wishedto be seen walking down Lynderton Street in company with Silas Sleech,but now things were altered. In London people needed not to be soparticular as to their associates.
As soon as the counting-house was closed, Harry set off with SilasSleech to the West End. That first evening was spent in a way that evenRoger Kyffin, had he made enquiries, would probably have approved. Theyhad been to the play, and afterwards supped at a respectable chop-house,frequented by several actors, authors, and wits. Silas Sleech evensuggested that Harry should mention it to his guardian.
"I don't often go to such places myself, you see," he observedafterwards to Mr. Kyffin, "but I thought that Harry would requiresomething to divert his mind, and I rather put myself out of the way toamuse him."
Mr. Kyffin begged that Mr. Sleech would in future take no trouble onthat score; and at the same time he did not wish to shut Harry upaltogether, and was much obliged to him for what he had done.
"You were always kind and wise, sir," said Mr. Sleech, in his softesttone; "it is really a pleasure to me to enter into such scenes for thesake of our young friend, otherwise I confess that more sober amusementssuit me best."
It was strange, however, that Mr. Sleech should press Harry thefollowing evening to spend it precisely in the same way as the former,though the house to which he took him after the play was of a somewhatdifferent character from that of the previous evening. He observed theguests occasionally slipping out of the public room and going up-stairs.
"I should like to know what they are about," said Mr. Sleech to Harry;"what do you say, shall we try and get up?"
Harry, of course, had no objection.
"Follow me, then," said Sleech; "I observed the turn the others took,and dare say that I can find my way."
Mr. Sleech had no difficulty, although there were several dark passagesand a flight or two of stairs to be passed. At length a light fell ontheir faces from an opening in the upper part of the wall. Mr. Sleechuttered a few strange words, and a door, hitherto invisible, opening, hedrew Harry through it. Another passage and another door were passedthrough, and they found themselves in a room of considerable size, inwhich a number of people were assembled round a table on which dice wererattling, and a gentleman with a long stick was drawing up towards himsmall piles of gold placed at the edge, and occasionally paying outothers to some bystanders.
"Why, we have got into something like a hell," whispered Mr. Sleech toHarry. "I had no idea of the sort of place we were coming to. However,now we are here, let us stop and see the fun; it seems very exciting.See how eager these men watch the throws. I say, I feel quite a longingto have a cast myself; it is not a right thing to do, but when one onceis in such a place it cannot much matter."
"I would rather look on," said Harry.
"So, of course, would I, generally," said Sleech; "still it won't do tobe here long without having a throw now and then; but still it is betteryou should keep to your good resolution. If you like to take anyrefreshment, you will find plenty of it on the sideboard there. Youwill have nothing to pay; and if it is necessary I will see about that."
Harry watched the proceedings for some time. He had too often, whenwith Lady Tryon, witnessed play going forward in private not to be toowell acquainted with all the games in vogue. By degrees, therefore, hisinterest was aroused. Silas Sleech seemed unable any longer to resistthe influence, and soon, pulling out some gold, he began to bet as therest of the guests were doing. He was the winner of a considerable sum.Coming round to Harry, he put ten guineas into his hand. "There, myboy," he said, "just try your luck with this; if you are the winner youcan pay me, if not, never mind. It's luck's profits, so I shall notfeel the loss."
Harry hesitated. He had no love for gambling, and he knew that hisguardian would be sorry to hear that he had engaged in play. Sleech,however, urged him to go
on. "You're sure to win, and you'll repent itif you go away without anything in your pocket."
Thus persuaded, Harry staked a couple of guineas and won. He thenstaked five, and was also successful. He doubled his stakes--again hecame off the winner. It would have been better for him had he lost. Hewas still moderate in his stakes--fortunately, for luck, as Sleechcalled it, began to go against him. However, he left off with 100pounds in his pocket. Sleech congratulated him as they wound their wayout of the room down-stairs again.
"It's a nice little sum," he whispered; "you see what can be done if aman is cool and calm; only there is one little piece of advice I wish togive you: Don't mention the matter to Mr. Kyffin. If he asks you,
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