The hall-porter admitted as much, but evidently seemed to think that he had been disturbed from his dinner before his time.

Phineas did not care a straw for the hall-porter.

If Lady Laura were not kind to him, he would never trouble that hall-porter again.

He was especially sore at this moment because a valued friend, the barrister with whom he had been reading for the last three years, had spent the best part of an hour that Sunday morning in proving to him that he had as good as ruined himself.

"When I first heard it, of course I thought you had inherited a fortune," said Mr.Low.