more foolish conclusion; and when you saw me throw my purse into

the street, the forty pounds were at an end. Now you know me as

well as I know myself: a fool, but consistent in his folly; and,

as I will ask you to believe, neither a whimperer nor a coward."

From the whole tone of the young man's statement it was plain that

he harboured very bitter and contemptuous thoughts about himself.

His auditors were led to imagine that his love affair was nearer

his heart than he admitted, and that he had a design on his own

life. The farce of the cream tarts began to have very much the air

of a tragedy in disguise.

"Why, is this not odd," broke out Geraldine, giving a look to

Prince Florizel, "that we three fellows should have met by the

merest accident in so large a wilderness as London, and should be

so nearly in the same condition?"

"How?" cried the young man. "Are you, too, ruined? Is this supper

a folly like my cream tarts? Has the devil brought three of his

own together for a last carouse?"

"The devil, depend upon it, can sometimes do a very gentlemanly

thing," returned Prince Florizel; "and I am so much touched by this

coincidence, that, although we are not entirely in the same case, I

am going to put an end to the disparity. Let your heroic treatment

of the last cream tarts be my example."

So saying, the Prince drew out his purse and took from it a small

bundle of bank-notes.

"You see, I was a week or so behind you, but I mean to catch you up

and come neck and neck into the winning-post," he continued.

"This," laying one of the notes upon the table, "will suffice for

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