204 Hark Azvay^ 



Do I not remember seeing the " belle " of many 

 balls, the best dressed and most fascinating of 

 partners, going off in style with the inevitable four 

 from St. George's, Hanover Square, leaving scores 

 of broken hearts — temporarily broken — to mourn her 

 departure % And did I not, a few nights since, in the 

 cold, sullen winter's evening, see this once elegant 

 and graceful girl reduced to seUing a halfpenny 

 evening paper in order to obtain a crust % Cast 

 adrift, her money spent, and herself brought to 

 misery by her worthless husband. This was not a 

 fortunate termination to a journey commenced with 

 such eclat ; but remember, I do not lay the charge of 

 that mishap at the door of 121 Regent Street. 

 Romance ! why, I could furnish '' Tinsley " with the 

 materials for half-a-dozen novels, in three volumes, 

 and blue and gold binding, such as cannot be 

 equalled out of Catherine Street, by simply recalling 

 my recollections of " Newman's," " The Adventures 

 of a Chariot," "The Post Boy of St. James's,'' 

 "Flight," " The only Girl I ever Loved," " Where is 

 SheV and many a similar old, old story founded on 

 fact. Was I not concerned in one case, where the 

 lovely and accomplished daughter of a county mag- 

 nate disappeared from the parental home, leaving not 

 a trace behind ? Gone was she, whither and with 

 whom no one could tell. Did I not pick up the 

 missing link in the chain of circumstances, through 

 the agency of a celebrated French milliner, with 

 whom I had a passing acquaintance, tracing the lost 

 one by means of Newman's greys to her hiding-place, 

 restoring her to the loving arms of her distracted 

 father, only to hear a few months afterwards that 



