CLOSE CALCULATION. 7 



and averaging those friends at fifty, let me see, for I 

 like to be particular ; say seventeen articles by fifty 

 comes to eight hundred and fifty articles ; now sup- 

 posing I use one third of that number myself, and any 

 thing was to happen that I should never pay for them 

 as he gets half profit on all he makes, even these ad- 

 ditional little items would produce him a considerable 

 profit ; but when we consider his usual account in- 

 dependent of this, you must perceive that I am making 

 the rascal's fortune. You see I am a man of business." 



" Pray how is it, Fred.," said Hartland, " that you 

 have never even tried to seduce me into dealing with 

 this nonpareil of a tailor of yours." 



" Because," replied Fred., " I must pay you the 

 compliment of saying you are a man of sense ; 

 consequently the least beneficial customer a tailor 

 could have, as men and tailors now go 



" Well, Fred.," said Hartland, rising, " your habits 

 have become incorrigible ; but, as one who has ever 

 felt deeply interested in you, excuse, but mark my 

 words, which in after years I fear you will have but 

 too much cause to remember, you will go on till you 

 have not a guinea left, and then I fear you will find 

 yourself also without a friend." 



" Adieu, thou bird of ill-omen !" said Manderville, 

 shaking him by the hand- " by the by, Hartland," 

 added he, "joking apart ; that paletot of yours is in 

 cursed bad taste ; do let my 



" Ridiculous!" said Hartland, and ran down stairs. 



" Heigho ! " said Frank, throwing himself back in 

 the many cushioned library chair; " thy words, Ned., 

 may be prophetic ; but no ! it shall never come to that, 

 though l Burnham wood should come to Dunsinnane.' " 



" Pettatt ! " cried he, on his valet answering his bell, 



B 4 



