98 THE BUBBLE BURST,

“It is high time those people left the town,”
said those who were just beginning to veer to the
clergyman’s side,

“ Those disreputable people ought to be packed
off by authority,” said they who had thought with
the clergyman all the time ; “and if they venture
to ridicule him in their obscene plays, they shal
be packed off—and that handily.”

Williams had told Jessie that he would not g0
to the theatre that night ; that he could not bear
to see her acting with. Bassett, It would drive
him mad, he said. Jessie did not urge it, and he
was almost out of his mind with jealousy and cha-
grin. It is possible, however, that, after all, he
might have gone, had it not been for an awkward
affair which just then happened.

Mr. Osborne and Mr. Isaacs were together in the
shop, when Mr. Reeves came in, and scratching his
head, said, “ Is young Reynolds anywhere about 2”

He was not, said Mr. Isaacs, he was gone into the
country on business,

“Why, you see,” said Reeves, addressing Mr.
Isaacs, and leaning on the counter with both his
elbows, and taking a guinea from his pocket—“ that
young gentleman got me to give him change, maybe
a fortnight ago—on the evening of Christmas-day.
Now it is an awkward thing to come with money so
long afterwards—but I put the guinea aside at the
time—I'll swear to it that jt ’s the same—and
now you see it’s light weight. But young Mr,
Reynolds will know all about it in @ minute.”

Long before this speech was ended, Mr. Osborne,
who had come round the counter, took the guinea
' Out of Reeves’s hand and carefully examined it,