Page:Lady Anne Granard 3.pdf/236

234 "As to Lady Anne being in the scrape she was in, this morning, I think nothing of that—nothing at all—I have known as brave fellows as ever stepped between stem and stern have plenty of debts; worthy creatures, that would have shared their last shilling not only with a messmate but an enemy, who couldn't move for their creditors; and I won't say that I shouldn't have been liable to get into a bad berth, myself, with those kind of people (indeed I did so, to a slight degree, when I went out first), if it had not been for my father. 'Arthur,' said he, when he paid up the bills, 'I expect you never to buy a thing again, as long as you live, without paying for it; in that case, you will never buy any thing you can't afford, and you will never have a creditor, nor be in a situation unbecoming a Hales.' He said a good deal more I don't remember, so I promised, and many a time since have I rejoiced that I did; but poor Lady Anne mightn't be taught in her youth, you know, and bad habits are sad things. I look upon her as exceedingly to be pitied." The clacking was renewed, for it was the only possible way in which the performer could get rid of "pitied! be dd!" which sprung to his lips,