THE HAUGHTYSHIRE HUNT. 189 



certainly ' pegged back,' as far as the immediate future 

 was concerned. 



As he closed the door behind him, he was confronted by 

 Travers ; that young gentleman's face was even more pasty 

 than usual, and he gasped rather than said — 



"Oh! I say, you're a sort of a lawyer, ain't you? That 

 is, a barrister, I mean? Well, do come into my room 

 for a few minutes, and tell me wha-wha-what the devil 

 I'm to do ! It's awful ! It really is doosid awful ! " and 

 consumed by astonishment, Ronald followed our hero into 

 the little den, where his two Eingnose friends still sat 

 placidly smoking. 



Passing a fat red paw over his dank hair and per- 

 spiring brow, Binkie stood at the end of the table, and 

 from a pink sheet of note-paper with scalloped edges, 

 which he held in his hand, read out, in trembling accents, 

 the following — 



" Wandell Street, London. 

 " My once dear H.\lgy, 



" It canot bee oh no it canot bee that you would play 



me false but ow am i to understand setch conduct of yours 



wen told it by a friend who shall be uaimless i mean that ther 



is a roomer you are injaged to bee marrid too a sertain Miss 



Lumking. tell me its not true i canot berleeve it off you. 



you know that you always give me too understand that i wos 



to bee the Wun, an i ave yr own letters too proove it, has you 



know, Halgy. Hear is what you wrote me larst year, copid 



out ; i keep the origginule. 



" 'if ever I marry I shall apply at your shop in Wandell 



street, for all the requisites.' 



