"As to Lady Anne being in the scrape she was in, this morning, I think nothing of that—nothing at all—I have known as brave fellows as ever stepped between stem and stern have plenty of debts; worthy creatures, that would have shared their last shilling not only with a messmate but an enemy, who couldn't move for their creditors; and I won't say that I shouldn't have been liable to get into a bad berth, myself, with those kind of people (indeed I did so, to a slight degree, when I went out first), if it had not been for my father. 'Arthur,' said he, when he paid up the bills, 'I expect you never to buy a thing again, as long as you live, without paying for it; in that case, you will never buy any thing you can't afford, and you will never have a creditor, nor be in a situation unbecoming a Hales.' He said a good deal more I don't remember, so I promised, and many a time since have I rejoiced that I did; but poor Lady Anne mightn't be taught in her youth, you know, and bad habits are sad things. I look upon her as exceedingly to be pitied."
The clacking was renewed, for it was the only possible way in which the performer could get rid of "pitied! be d
d!" which sprung to his lips,