power; you have already had twelve hundred, and, upon my honour, that is a hundred and fifty more than I ought to have given."

66

Pugh, who minds the honour of a pawnbroker!" cried the lady, laughing; 66 you know very well you live by cheating."

"Well, ma'am," returned he, with a goodnatured smile, "as your ladyship pleases."

"Then I please that you let me have another hundred. Why man, you know you lent Mrs. Hinchinbroke two thousand upon a case of diamonds not a quarter so many as mine."

"But consider, madam, Mrs. Hinchinbroke's were of the best water."

"Po itively, Mr. Burdet," exclaimed her ladyship, purposely miscalling his name, "not better than mine! The king of Sardinia gave them to Sir Charles when he knighted him. I know mine are the best, and I must have another hundred.

Upon

Upon my soul, my servants have not had a guinea of board wages these four months, and they tell me they are starving. Come, make haste, Mr. Burnet; you cannot expect me to stay here all night; give me the money."

"Indeed, my lady, I cannot."

"Heavens, what a brute of a man you are! There," cried she, taking a string of pearls from her neck, and throwing it on the table, "lend me some of your trumpery out of your shop, for I am going immediately from hence to take up the Misses Dundas to the play; and so give me the hundred on that, and let me go." "This is not worth á hundred."

"What a teasing man you are!” cried her ladyship angrily. Well, let me have the money now, and I will send you the bracelets which belong to the necklace to-morrow.".

"Upon those conditions I will give your ladyship another hundred."

"O, do; you are the veriest miser I

· ever

ever met with. You are worse than Shylock, or,---Good Lord! what is this?" exclaimed she, interrupting herself, and taking up the draft he had laid before her; "and have you the conscience to think, Mr. Pawnbroker, that I will offer this at your banker's? that I will expose myself so far? No, no; take it back, and give me gold. Come, dispatch! else I cannot go to the play. Look, there is my purse," added she, shewing it, "make haste and fill it."

After satisfying her demands, Mr. Burnet handed her ladyship out the way she came in, which was by a private passage; and, having seated her in her carriage, made his bow.

Meanwhile, the count Sobieski, rapped in astonishment at the profligacy which the scene he had witnessed im→ plied, remained in concealment until the pawnbroker returned and opened the closet-door. Suo

"Sir," said he, colouring, "you have,

unde

undesignedly on your part, been privy to a very delicate affair; but my credit, Sir, and your honour---"

"Shall both be sacred," replied the count, anxious to relieve the poor man from his perplexity, and forbearing to express surprise:---But Burnet perceived it in his look; and before he proceeded to fulfil his engagement with him, stepped half way to the escrutoire, and resumed.

"You appear amazed, sir, at what you have seen. And, if I am not mistaken, you are from abroad."

"Indeed I am amazed," replied Sobieski;

"and I am from a country, where the slightest suspicion of a transaction, such as this, would brand the woman with infamy."

"And so it ought," answered Burnet: "though, by that assertion, I speak against my own interest; for it is by such as Lady Villiers, that we make our money. Now, Sir," continued he, draw*ing nearer to the table, "perhaps, after

what

what you have just beheld, you will not hesitate to credit what I am going to tell you. I have now in my hands, the jewels of one duchess, of three countesses, and of women of fashion without number. When these ladies have an ill run at play, they apply to me in their exigencies; they bring their diamonds here, and, as their occasions require, on this deposit I lend them money; for which they make me a handsome present, when they are released."

"Gracious Heaven!" exclaimed Thaddeus, "what a degrading system of deceit must govern the lives of these women !"

"It is very lamentable," returned Burnet, "but so it is. And they continue to manage matters very cleverly. By giving me their note, or word of honour, (for if these ladies are not honourable with me, I have their reputations so much in my power, that i keep them in awe; and, whatever be their characters, I have no fears