The Hypocrite

f Sin, in his paw. He was a sort of wrinkled romance. 'Sir,' he said, 'may I ask if you are Mordaunt Sturtevant?' 'At your service,' I answered. Then he said, 'I must tell you that I have

didn't know its address. 'Sir, you have exalted harlotry into a social force.' I told him the harlot was the earthworm of society. He got up and retreated to the door. 'Any man would 'a

u 'ave all the vices, and aspire to all the crimes,' he shouted. When

this episo

before you

ok about, I ha

logical analysis of a y

so I don't think I'll read it. Pass the whiskey, will you? You

he sake of saying something, and because I thought

of them were very

was now in the Temple, sitting in front of the fire, without any present interest. Restless and miserable, he tried to think of Scott, of Father Gray, of the people who cared for him, hoping for vague thrillings, little tender luxuries of regret, but it was of no use. A short time ago he could have induced the pleasing grief-

he other, but though a man of less charm, his attainments were gre

pattering with an added weariness and the wind wailing up from the river. At last

he said, "shout! be

keep my brilliancy for

sitive Pilgri

nnerisms never to say, "Come in." The door opened and a girl came round the corner of the scr

ping her to take off her ulster, while S

pretty girl, with a sweet rather tired mouth, well-marked eyebrows, and dark eyes somewhat full, the lids stained with bistre. Gobion knew her, having met her at Wild's, and rather liked her. Sh

s a man begs,

" was his mental comment. Gobion thought, "Her youth is the golden background which shows up the sadness of he

news for you, old man, and i

s it, B

cil. 'There,' he said to Tom, 'there's a nice thing to see about one's self! Some damn dirty skunk's been writing this about me and The Pilgrim.' It was so funny to see him, I never saw anybody in such a bate before; I looked over Tom's shoulder, and, without thinking, said, 'Why, I typed that for Mr. Yardly

gave a lo

"it doesn't matter, I don't car

print yet," said Sturtevant,

Gobion. "Poor boy," she said, "I'm afraid

er, I've got past caring for most

He never liked you much, you know, he sa

kind to

w. He was at first, b

d cut th

I do? I've no character or money or anything. I

t her hands to t

ne of her hands in his, "poor little

nd then she burst into an agony of te

" said Gobion, half cryi

at it means. You'r

deal worse than you. I have

aintly throu

he said, "not lik

ackguard; don't

t shrink

ou don't know w

hed down in her chair,

," she said, "

nd made a rapid calculation. "Twenty here and ten at my rooms. Look here," he said, "I'm not hard up

ooked him in the face. S

, "good-bye. If only

d. When they reached the lane she turned, and in the dim l

ng it to his lips, still with bowed hea

him lying on the floor dead drunk, with a little poo

e face of the purest girl (except in the advertisements of waterproof rouge), or you might try The

l of lies. He forwarded an article to Picton, but it was sent back by return of post, with a sarcastic little note, saying that Mr. Picton could not find himself sufficiently bold

e came a letter

Union

blasphemously in that he had awakened him. My tutor waxed very wroth with me. I was troubled with frightful insomnia every afternoon, and often in the morning-often finding it necessary to go to bed at midnight, rise at two a.m. and work till five or so, and again retire. Perhaps this was due to the fact that I had to sleep off certain matters of no importance, and then awake early, which is a way of mine. Drage's last moments in Oxford I soothed by fetching Father Gray a

well.

r Cond

oc Yardly

evant. "Do you think there'

to get hold of the boy. We must think out a pla

of him, but I don't quite see how we'

slowly, "that dear lady I took to

e beas

icester Square, just behind the Alhambra. Now doesn't the

I con

Jimmies, that sort of thing; show him life, till he begins to long to go a little further, and to make sheep's-eyes at the painted ladies in the stalls. Meanwhile I shall get hold of the Bear Street girl and promise her a fiver if she'll help us. One night you and Calvert dine out (give fizz and Benedictine after, it's exciting), and when you get back to your rooms you find Marie as "Mrs. Holmes" waiting to see you. Then I send you a telegram, and you apologise and go out, promising to be back in half an h

. "Won-der-ful! you're a master simply. It ought to be put on the marke

snomer now. The public thinks decadence is the state of bein

egin to lecture

ect to the

t to the

surly word makes

orthy of

ad evanesced. It was a consequence of their diseased mental state, this co

young fello

accused him

retching

n't have

been a peer

able; if we do well we might go dow

Do you remember him? little Pemmy man. He got a clerkship by interest. Spends his time round the west now looking out for a moneyed female

, something had to be done to raise money. He was not a man who could live on thirty shillings a week, for, even though they failed to amuse him, he could not

ements, rapidly falling into order as he thought. His mind was masterly in its grasp of salient points, in its suggestions of detail. Naturally, as he plotte

sh of deadly fear passed over his face, but so instantaneously that it would have been almost impossible for a stranger to have seen it. Though he had recovered this first feeling of terror in a moment, ha

Calvert. How are you getting on? Well! Oh, I'm so glad. You did excellent service for us in the Chur

of all things. Whe

g Cross, just

on I will join you in a moment;

off a wire to Sturtevant, not being able to

't wait. Keep away from my rooms

st attention to his remarks. The young fellow, who was aching to see a little life, and taste some of the joys hitherto forbidden, looked on Gobion as a being f

hand, "Rrreverrend Grray, sir?" he said. The clergyman read the

he C.B.S., is dying up in Scotland and asking for me. I must leave you for a day or t

could manage very well, while both were inwardly rejoic

t the station. Lord Frederick laughed. "And now, my dear sir," he said, "I place myself entirely in your han

hought for the morrow beyond staying up to welcome its arrival. We'

sting in on Sturtevant, whom he found with the female conspirator sitting on his knee. "Arran

utting two or three sovereigns in his pocket for emergenc

gardless, my dear boy, simply regardless. Never done so well before." Lord Frederick insisted on

, almost felt compunction at what he proposed to do. They afterwards went to the Alhambra, taking a box, and Gobion pointed out

rmed cynic, and he enjoyed the malice of Gobion's remarks, especially as

nothing daunted, Gobion pointed out various obvious bank clerks and actors "resting" as the leading lights of London journalism.

ng eternal friendship, and Gobion promised to take him

ion some valuable hints as to detail. As the evening drew on both of them got ra

rd for danger, sprinkling cheap cynicism as a sort of intellec

r. "Long live Pannikin! And now to play your part; the curtain i

se of the meal he proposed an adjournment to his rooms, as it was yet too early for the night club. When they mounted the stairs a light showed fro

riend; "she's a charming little wo

aster mind. An inviting lounge shaded by a screen was placed by the red glow of the fire, the lights were carefully shaded so as not to shine too fully on the artificial beauties of the lady's face. The cu

as wrong. No. 999, Queer Street was a little too visible, but the champagne had exhilarated Ca

ating Gobion, who was longing to get out of t

go out for half an hour; they want me to do a leaderette for to-morrow'

he found Sturtevant in evening dress, whit

ion's rooms to divide the spoil. Over the meal-a dainty repast, ordered to celebrate their achievement-they

ing air, the hum of the insects, ah-h!" He took a deep anticipatory br

e pleasure," said Gobion

ace. There was a strained, tense silence, only broken by the gurgling of the champagne in Sturtevan

control himself. "Good God! what a damn

e sickly, pitiable lau

he said. "I was a fool to come here. I'

ard the front door bang, Gobion j

ress. I'm going to get rooms somewhere in Pimlico-till w

rgan burst out with "The Dandy Coloured Coon," and the tune throbbed in his