Samples of some Gentleman s Autobiography. 29 



being unwilling- to appear by day-light in my masquerade habit, and, 

 before ten o'clock, was attired in a handsome suit of ready-made mourning. 

 With a contrite heart, I hurried to the spunging-house, and surprised 

 Aurora (that was Mrs. Robinson's familiar name) in bed, sipping her 

 chocolate. " Now this is kind of you, Dick," said she, motioning the 

 attendant to withdraw j and adding, as soon as the latter had retired, 

 " Wretch ! how dare you face me?" 



I told her that circumstances had compelled me charity beginning at 

 home to quit the metropolis at a moment's notice ; but that, at the first 

 opportunity, I had returned with the means as well as the will to do my 

 duty. I then, for the first time, unrolled the crumpled little parcel which 

 I had extracted from Macaroon's throat : of its amount I was perfectly 

 aware, for I had been too interested in the game, not to count Lord 

 Timothy's winnings. It consisted of four fifty-pound notes (which I had 

 handed over, among others, to the Albino) ; four others, for 20/. each, which 

 he had lugged out of his horde in the tin case, and a forged ten, as I 

 subsequently discovered, which, in spite of the vigilance ofThornhose, 

 his antagonist had smuggled into the stakes. The sight of these won her 

 confidence ; and knowing she had an account at a house in Lombard- 

 street, with one of whose junior partners she had once been intimate, I 

 ventured to ask her about her balance. " Under fifty," said she, " Dick, 

 or I should not be here ; for the wretch will take a hundred down, and 

 my bill for the remainder. My hump-backed tiger is going to raise the 

 deficiency, if he can, on my cab and horse, this morning : but, of course, 

 you mean to do the needful yourself ?" 



I replied that I did ; and was as good as my word. By twelve o'clock, 

 Aurora was emancipated, at an expence, on my part, of one hundred 

 pounds and costs j for I would not permit her to write for the fifty in 

 Lombard-street. Having speedily settled preliminaries, we took a coach 

 to the city ; and, according to an arrangement we made by the way, hav- 

 ing a delicate affair in view, she introduced me at her banker's as a husband, 

 to whom she had been married yesterday morning. To obviate the neces- 

 sity of a certificate, she wrote in my favour for the balance, which I in- 

 creased by paying in the residue of the amount I had resuscitated from the 

 spider-monkey's throat, and took the common counter receipt for the whole. 



On our way back, I left my card at the door of Mr. Thornhose, and 

 Aurora insisted on inflicting her own at the residence of Lord Timothy ; 

 her separation from whom had already been blown ; and she deemed her- 

 self lucky in getting out before the arrival of any detainers from her nu- 

 merous creditors. For my own part I had no wish to remain in London, 

 for either Thornhose or the Albino would doubtless soon pester me. I 

 had left a trail, by travelling with the postboys to the masquerade, and 

 thence in a hackney coach to the hotel, the spunging-house and the city, 

 which either of those worthies might without much difficulty follow. Upon 

 the whole, we mutually deemed it expedient to take a tour on the conti- 

 nent, our route being Petersburgh, where Aurora felt sure that her style of 

 beauty was rather unique, and must therefore be capable of being turned 

 to eminent account. Besides these provocatives to emigration, 1 had 

 now attained an object which I had long ardently desired, but of late years 

 could not achieve namely that of holding an account with a respecta- 

 ble metropolitan banker - } for, as I know of experience, none of them will 

 put your name in their books, even if you go with 10,OOOZ. in your hand, 



