There's only one avenue to the Strand left often now, and I shall have to stop up that to-night with a pair of gloves.

The roads are closing so fast in every direction, that in a month's time, unless my aunt sends me a remittance, I shall have to go three or four miles out of town to get over the way.' 'There's no fear of failing, in the end ?' said Trent.
'Why, I hope not,' returned Mr Swiveller, 'but the average number of letters it take to soften her is six, and this time we have got as far as eight without any effect at all.

I'll write another tom-morrow morning.

I mean to blot it a good deal and shake some water over it out of the pepper-castor to make it look penitent.

'I'm in such a state of mind that I hardly know what I write'-- blot--' if you could see me at this minute shedding tears for my past misconduct'-- pepper-castor--my hand trembles when I think'-- blot again--if that don't produce the effect, it's all over.' By this time, Mr Swiveller had finished his entry, and he now replaced his pencil in its little sheath and closed the book, in a perfectly grave and serious frame of mind.