My Lord The King;

regards his evidently self-satisfied companion with an air of amused disdain . Poor devil ! " exclaims the " commercial , " soliloquising as his eye is caught by a paragraph in that clay ' s " Telegraph " concerning a trial betAveen the creditors of GoverendUmey and Co ., ancl an

un-, fortunate shareholder , who had lost the case , and had been directed by the Court to pay the £ 30 per share now called up in consequence of the failure of that company , ancl Avho , since the judgement , had been completely ruined and gone out of his

mind . '' Poor devil ! " the over-dressed bagman repeated . " These are bad cases of Goverend and Urney ' s ; aren ' t they , mister ?" '' Very bad ! " the other said gravely . " I am sorry to say several have come

under my notice . " " Indeed ! Professionally , I suppose ?" the bagman replied , Avith a soapy smile , passing one hand over the other , ; or , as somebody has described it , Avashing his hands with invisible soap in imperceptible water .

" Scarcely ! " the man with the moustache rejoined . "I have only watched cases for the defendant in one or two instances . " " Barrister , sir f " Yes . " " If I miht be so bold" and the

g , greasy smile Avas again put on , " if I might be so bold , can you tell me Avhether , if a man had invested and sold out before the company smashed , he could be rendered liable for calls V

" Could hardly say , unless I had the particulars . " "Well , to be open , mister , 'honour among thieves , ' you kuoAV , " and the fat fat little man Avinked at his companion in au insufferabl y familiar manner ( the other merel

y stroked his moustache , and gravely watched the bagman as if he Avere a witness in court , whom he was going to demolish presently ) : I sold £ 300 worth of shares to a gentleman in 1864 , in my OAVU i > ame , though not the owner . He ' s been

bankrupt , and through the court ; ancl noAV the company ( blow them ) Avant to come «» Avn on me to pay up the calls for his shares , which he had foiled to do . Blow 'Mil , I wish he were in Jericho . Poor beggar ! he ' s in very IOAV Avater , nearly ftai'ving , I am told ; for I set the lawyers

on to see if they could bleed him any more , directly I found I mig ht be rendered liable . Queer name he had , sir , " our garrulous friend Avent on— " Mauleverer . " " Mauleverer , " the other repeated , his cynical languor cast aside in a moment . " Did you say Mauleverer 1 "

" Yes ; rum name , ain't it ? Did you ever know any one of that name 1 " " I think I have heard it someAvhere , " vras the reply , as the speaker Avith an air of constrained carlessness caressed his moustache with his right hand ( it seemed

to be a habit of his ) and lapsed into silence . No more was said ; the little man tried in vain to renew the conversation , but finding it useless , amused himself with the paper until they arrived at Holme StationAvhere the tall gentleman . with the

, moustache left the carriage . TAVO o ' clock , and the express train has just come into the Paulborough Station , a SIOAV train from Holme folloAving , but the latter Avaits outside the station for some minutes . At length , as it moves slowly

in , the same gentleman calls to a porter ancl asks him to put his things into the other train , as he is going on to York by the express . " Express just gone , sir . " " But I came up from Holme on purpose to catch it . " " Holme train ahvays Avails outside till the express goes out , sir . "

" Confound it ! can't I go on then by this train 1 " " Well , sir , as far as Doncaster , if you like ; but I think you'll be more comfortable here ; train goes on to York at 7 o'clock this evening . " The gentleman gets out , leaves his

luggage in charge of the porter ( AV ! IO sees he looks like a " tip" ) , ancl walks into the refreshment-rooms . " Three hours and no lunch at Holme , because that blessed Franks Avasn't at home , ancl left no message at the Vicarage that I Avas coming . I'll have something now , " and the stranger strolled leisurely up to the counter ancl ordered some

refreshment , ancl as he did so , his eye Avas attracted by the appearance of one of the young ladies at the other end of the room . The pale face , regular features , large lustrous eyes , ancl dark tresses interested him , ancl he stood for a minute or tAvo stroking his moustache , looking eagerly