He already felt that he was almost hand-and-glove with Lord Mount-Coffeehouse; for it was a descendant of the nobleman so celebrated in song.

'Only be punctual, Mr.Tudor; only be punctual, and I will do anything for you,' Mr.M'Ruen had said, as Charley left the house.

Charley, however, never had been punctual, and yet his dealings with Mr.M'Ruen had gone on from that day to this.

What absolute money he had ever received into his hand he could not now have said, but it was very little, probably not amounting in all to L50.

Yet he had already paid during the two years more than double that sum to this sharp-clawed vulture, and still owed him the amounts of more bills than he could number.