In fact, she was the perfect antipodes of her husband. Mr Dudleigh was a humble, unobtrusive, kind-hearted man, always intent on business, beyond which he did not pretend to know or care for much. How could such a man, it will be asked, marry such a woman?-Was he the first who has been dazzled and blinded by the blaze of a large fortune? Such was his case. Besides, a young widow is somewhat careful of undue exposures, which might fright away promising suitors. So they made a match of it; and he resuscitated the expiring business and connexion of his predecessor, and conducted it with a skill and energy, which in a short time opened upon him the floodgates of fortune. Affluence poured in from all quarters; and he was everywhere called by his panting, but distanced competitors in the city, the "fortunate" Mr Dudleigh.

One memorable day, four of his vessels, richly freighted, came, almost together, into port; and on the same day he made one of the most fortunate speculations in the funds which had been heard of for years; so that he was able to say to his assembled family, as he drank their healths after dinner, that he would not take a quarter of a million for what he was worth! And there, surely, he might have paused, nay, made his final stand, as the possessor of such a princely fortune, acquired with unsullied honour to himself, and, latterly, spent in warrantable splendour and hospitality. But no: As is and ever will be the case, the more he had, the more he would have. Not to mention the incessant baiting of his ambitious wife, the dazzling capabilities of indefinite increase to his wealth proved irresist ible. What might not be done by a man of Mr Dudleigh's celebrity, with a floating capital of some hundred and fifty thousand pounds, and as much credit as he chose to accept of? The regular course of his shipping business brought him in constantly magnificent returns, and he began to sigh after other collateral sources of money-making; for why should. nearly one-half of his vast means lie unproductive? He had not long to look about, after it once became known that he was ready to employ

his floating capital in profitable speculations. The brokers, for instance, came about him, and he leagued with them. By and by the world heard of a monopoly of nutmegs. There was not a score to be had anywhere in London, but at a most exorbitant price-for the fact was, that Mr Dudleigh had laid his hands on them all, and by so doing cleared a very large sum. Presently he would play similar pranks with otto of roses; and as soon as he had quadrupled the cost of that fashionable article, he would let loose his stores on the gaping market-by which he gained as large a profit as he had made with the nutmegs. Commercial people will easily see how he did this. The brokers, who wished to effect the monopoly, would apply to him for the use of his capital, and give him an ample indemnity against whatever loss might be the fate of the speculation; and, on its proving successful, awarded him a very large proportion of the profits. This is the scheme by which many splendid fortunes have been raised, with a rapidity which has astonished their gainers as much as any one else! Then, again, he negotiated bills on a large scale, and at tremendous discounts; and, in a word, by these, and similar means, amassed, in a few years, the enormous sum of half a million of money!

It is easy to guess at the concomitants of such a fortune as this. At the instigation of his wife-for he himself retained all his old unobtrusive and personally economical habits-he supported two splendid establishments-the one at the "West End" of the town, and the other near Richmond. His wife-for Mr Dudleigh himself seemed more like the hired steward of his fortune than its possessor-was soon surrounded by swarms of those titled blood-suckers that batten on bloated opulence which has been floated into the sea of fashion. Mrs Dudleigh's dinners, suppers, routes, soirées, fetes cham pêtres, flashed astonishment on the town, through the columns of the obsequious prints. Miss Dudleigh, an elegant and really amiable girl, about seventeen, was beginning to get talked of as a fashionable beauty, and, report said, had refused coronets by dozens! While "young.

Harry Dudleigh" far out-topped the astonished Oxonians, by spending about half as much again as his noble allowance. Poor Mr Dudleigh frequently looked on all this with fear and astonishment, and, when in the city, would shrug his shoulders, and speak of the " dreadful doings at the West!" I say, when in the cityfor as soon as he travelled westwards, when he entered the sphere of his WIFE's influence, his energies were benumbed and paralysed. He had too long quietly succumbed to her authority to call it in question now, and therefore he submitted to the splendid appearance he was compelled to support. He often said, however, that " he could not understand what Mrs Dudleigh was at," but beyond such a hint he never presumed. He was seldom or never to be seen amid the throng and crush of company that crowded his house evening after evening. The first arrival of his wife's guests, was his usual signal for seizing his hat and stick, dropping quietly from home, and betaking himself either to some sedate city friend, or to his countryhouse, where he now took a kind of morbid pleasure in ascertaining that his gains were safe, and planning greater, to make up, if possible, he would say, "for Mrs Dudleigh's awful extravagance." He did this so constantly, that Mrs Dudleigh began at last to expect and calculate on his absence, as a matter of course, whenever she gave a party; and her good natured, accommodating husband too easily acquiesced, on the ground, as his wife took care to give out, of his health's not bearing late hours and company. Though an economical, and even parsimonious man in his habits, Mr Dudleigh had as warm and kind a heart as ever glowed in the breast of man. I have heard many accounts of his systematic benevolence, which he chiefly carried into effect at the periods of temporary relegation to the city, above spoken of. Every Saturday evening, for instance, he had a sort of levee, numerously attended by merchants' clerks and commencing tradesmen, all of whom he assisted most liberally with both "cash and counsel," as he goodhumouredly called it. Many a one of them owes his establishment in life to Mr Dudleigh, who never lost

sight of any deserving object he had once served.

A far different creature Mrs Dudleigh! The longer she lived, the more she had her way, the more frivolous and heartless did she become-the more despotic was the sway she exercised over her husband. Whenever he presumed to " lecture her," as she called it, she would stop his mouth, with referring to the fortune she had brought him, and ask him triumphantly," what he could have done without her cash and connexions!" Such being the fact, it was past all controversy that she ought to be allowed" to have her fling, now they could so easily afford it!" The sums she spent on her own and her daughter's dress were absolutely incredible, and almost petrified her poor husband when the bills were brought to him. Both in the articles of dress and party-giving, Mrs Dudleigh was actua ted by a spirit of frantic rivalry with her competitors; and what she wanted in elegance and refinement, she sought to compensate for in extravagance and ostentation. It was to no purpose that her trembling husband, with tears in his eyes, suggested to her recollection the old saying, "that fools make feasts, and wise men eat them;" and that, if she gave magnificent dinners and suppers, of course great people would come and eat them for her; but would they thank her? Her constant answer was, that they " ought to support their station in society" that "the world would not believe them rich, unless they shewed it that they were," &c. &c. &c. Then, again, she had a strong plea for her enormous expenditure in the "bringing out of Miss Dudleigh," in the arrayment of whom, panting milliners "toiled in vain." In order to bring about this latter object, she induced, but with great difficulty, Mr Dudleigh to give his bankers orders to accredit her separate cheques; and so prudently did she avail herself of this privilege for months, that she completely threw Mr Dudleigh off his guard, and he allowed a very large balance to lie in his bankers' hands, subject to the unrestricted drafts of his wife. Did the reader never happen to see in society that horrid harpy, an old dowager, whose niggard jointure drives

ments, and had made your way through the soft crush and flutter of aristocracy, you might see the lady of the house throbbing and panting with excitement-a perfect blaze of jewellery-flanked by her very kind friends, old Lady, and the wellknown Miss -, engaged, as usual, at unlimited loo. The good humour with which Mrs Dudleigh lost, was declared to be" quite charming".

deserving of better fortune;" and inflamed by the cozened compliments they forced upon her, she was just uttering some sneering and insolent allusion to "that odious city," while old Lady's withered talons were extended to clutch her winnings, when there was perceived a sudden stir about the chief door-then a general hush-and in a moment or two, a gentleman, in dusty and disordered dress, with his hat on, rushed through the astonished crowd, and made his way towards the card-table at which Mrs Dudleigh was seated, and stood confronting her, extending towards her his right hand, in which was a thin slip of paper. It was Mr Dudleigh! "There-there, madam," he gasped in a hoarse voice," there, woman!-what have you done?Ruined-ruined me, madam, you've ruined me! My credit is destroyed for ever!-my name is tainted!-Here's the first dishonoured bill that ever bore Henry Dudleigh's name upon it! -Yes, madam, it is you who have done it," he continued, with vehement tone and gesture, utterly regardless of the breathless throng around him, and continuing to extend towards her the protested bill of exchange.

My dear!-my dear-my-mymy dear Mr Dudleigh," stammered his wife, without rising from her chair, "what is the matter, love?"

"Matter, madam?-why, by—that you've ruined me-that's all! -Where's the L.20,000 I placed in Messrs's hands a few days ago? -Where-WHERE is it, Mrs Dudleigh?" he continued almost shouting, and advancing nearer to her, with his fist clenched. "Henry! dear Henry !-mercy, mercy murmured his wife faintly.

"Henry, indeed! Mercy ?-Silence, madam! How dare you deny me an answer? How dare you swin

VOL. XXX. NO. CLXXXII.

dle me out of my fortune in this way?" he continued fiercely, wiping the perspiration from his forehead; "Here's my bill for L.4000, made payable at Messrs -, my new bankers; and when it was presented this morning, madam, by -! the reply was NO EFFECTS!'-and my bill has been dishonoured!-Wretch! what have you done with my money? Where's it all gone?-I'm the town's talk about this bill! There'll be a run upon me!-I know there will-aye-THIS is the way my hardearned wealth is squandered, you vile, you unprincipled spendthrift!” he continued, turning round and pointing to the astounded guests, none of whom had uttered a syllable. The music had ceased-the dancers left their places-the card-tables were deserted. In a word, all was blank consternation. The fact was, that . old Lady- who was that moment seated, trembling like an aspen-leaf, at Mrs Dudleigh's right-hand side, had won from her, during the last month, a series of sums amounting to little short of L.9000, which Mrs Dudleigh had paid the day before by a cheque on her banker; and that very morning she had drawn out L.4000 odd, to pay her coach-maker's, confectioner's, and milliner's bills, and supply herself with cash for the evening's spoliation. The remaining L.7000 had been drawn out during the preceding fortnight to pay her various clamorous creditors, and keep her in readiness for the gaming-table. Mr Dudleigh, on hearing of the dishonour of his bill-the news of which was brought him by a clerk, for he was staying at a friend's house in the country-came up instantly to town, paid the bill, and then hurried, half beside himself, to his house in

square. It is not at all wonderful, that though Mr Dudleigh's name was well known as an eminent and responsible mercantile man, his bankers, with whom he had but recently opened an account, should decline paying his bill, after so large a sum as L.20,000 had been drawn out of their hands by Mrs Dudleigh. It looked suspicious enough, truly!

"Mrs Dudleigh!-where-WHERE is my L 20,000?" he shouted almost at the top of his voice; but Mrs Dudleigh heard him not; for she had fallen fainting into the arms of Lady

E

man.

Numbers rushed forward to her assistance. The confusion and agitation that ensued it would be impossible to describe; and, in the midst of it, Mr Dudleigh strode at a furious pace out of the room, and left the house. For the next three or four days he behaved like a madHis apprehensions magnified the temporary and very trifling in jury his credit had sustained, till he fancied himself on the eve of becoming bankrupt. And, indeed, where is the merchant of any eminence, whom such a circumstance as the dishonour of a bill for L.4000 (however afterwards accounted for) would not exasperate? For several days Mr Dudleigh would not go near square, and did not once enquire after Mrs Dudleigh. My professional services were put into requisition on her behalf. Rage, shame, and agony, at the thought of the disgraceful exposure she had met with, in the eyes of all her assembled guests, of those respecting whose opinions she was most exquisitely sensitive, had nearly driven her distracted. She continued so ill for about a week, and exhibited such frequent glimpses of delirium, that I was compelled to resort to very active treatment to avert a brain fever. More than once, I heard her utter the words, or some thing like them,-" be revenged on him yet!" but whether or not she was at the time sensible of the import of what she said, I did not know.

The incident above recordedwhich I had from the lips of Mr Dudleigh himself, as well as from others —made a good deal of noise in what are called "the fashionable circles," and was obscurely hinted at in one of the daily papers. I was much amused at hearing, in the various circles I visited, the conflicting and exaggerated accounts of it. One old lady told me she “had it on the best authority, that Mr Dudleigh actually struck his wife, and wrenched her purse out of her hand!" I recommended Mrs Dudleigh to withdraw for a few weeks to a watering-place, and she followed my advice; taking with her Miss Dudleigh, whose health and spirits had suffered materially through the event which has been mentioned. Poor girl! she was of a very different mould from her mother, and suffered acutely, though

silently, at witnessing the utter contempt in which she was held by the very people she made such prodigious efforts to court and conciliate. Can any situation be conceived more painful? Her few and gentle remonstrances, however, met invariably with a harsh and cruel reception; and at last she was compelled to hold her peace, and bewail in mortified silence her mother's obtuseness.

about a

They continued at month; and on their return to town, found the affair quite "blown over;" and soon afterwards, through the mediation of mutual friends, the angry couple were reconciled to each other. For twelve long months Mrs Dudleigh led a comparatively quiet and secluded life, abstaining, with but a poor grace it is true, from company and cards-from the latter compulsorily; for no one chose to sit down at play with her, who had witnessed or heard of the event which had taken place last season. In short, every thing seemed going on well with our merchant and his family. It was fixed that his daughter was to become Lady - as soon as young Lord should have returned from the continent; and a dazzling dowery was spoken of as hers on the day of her marriage. Pleased with his wife's good behaviour, Mr Dudleigh's confidence and good-nature revived, and he held the reins with a rapidlyslackening grasp. In proportion as he allowed her funds, her scared "friends" flocked again around her; and by and by she was seen flouncing about in fashion as heretofore, with small "let or hinderance" from her husband. The world-the sagacious world-called Mr Dudleigh a happy man; and the city swelled at the mention of his name and doings. The mercantile world laid its highest honours at his feet. The Mayoralty -a Bank-an East-Indian Directorship-a seat for the city in Parlia ment-all glittered within his grasp -but he would not stretch forth his hand. He was content, he would say, to be "plain Henry Dudleigh, whose word was as good as his bond" -a leading man on 'Change-and, above all," who could look every one full in the face with whom he had ever had to do." He was indeed a worthy man-a rich and racy specimen of one of those glories of our