on the stair! What can bring him home at this hour? If he's been
drinking, he'll come home as cross as anything." Then Mr Lupex
entered the room, and the pleasantness of the party was destroyed.

It may be said that neither Mrs Cradell nor Mrs Eames would have
placed their sons in Burton Crescent if they had known the dangers
into which the young men would fall. Each, it must be acknowledged,
was imprudent; but each clearly saw the imprudence of the other. Not
a week before this, Cradell had seriously warned his friend against
the arts of Miss Roper. "By George, Johnny, you'll get yourself
entangled with that girl."

"One always has to go through that sort of thing," said Johnny.

"Yes; but those who go through too much of it never get out again.
Where would you be if she got a written promise of marriage from
you?" Poor Johnny did not answer this immediately, for in very truth
Amelia Roper had such a document in her possession.

"Where should I be?" said he. "Among the breaches of promise, I
suppose."

"Either that, or else among the victims of matrimony. My belief of
you is, that if you gave such a promise, you'd carry it out."

"Perhaps I should," said Johnny; "but I don't know. It's a matter of
doubt what a man ought to do in such a case."

"But there's been nothing of that kind yet?"