mr dulman exerted himself to the utmost to make the party go off well, and poor mrs dulman did her best, though she always felt overwhelmed with the responsibilities of the new position in which she was placed, and awed by the great people.emery, though not a badlooking young man, felt too much abashed to appear to advantage, in spite of his offhand manner among his ordinary associates; and though he made many efforts to do the polite to his fathers guests, he as often failed from awkwardness, and would have felt much happier smoking his pipe and drinking beer with old sass.during the evening, as mr dulman went into the hall, a letter was put into his hand by a messenger who had been waiting to see him.he retired to a corner to read it.his usually ruddy countenance turned deadly pale.he hurriedly thrust it into his pocket.i will attend to the matter tomorrow, he said, in as firm a voice as he could command.its impossible to do so now.he went to the supperroom, and rapidly drinking off three or four glasses of wine, hastened back to his guests.many of them, however, remarked his agitated and absent manner, while some of his acquaintances observed that old dulman had been overfortifying himself for his arduous duties.as soon as his guests were gone he shut himself up in his room, and spent the remainder of the night, with the fatal letter before him, making calculations.before the rest of the family were up he had left the house, and was off by the first train to london.the next day it was whispered that mr dulman, who was known to have speculated largely in railway shares, was ruined.people said that he had only love of ostentation to thank for what had occurred, and few pitied him.his fine house and furniture were sold, but his estate did not yield a penny in the pound.ashamed of again showing his face at elmerston, he sailed for australia, leaving his wife and younger children living in a mean cottage in the neighbourhood, a small allowance having been made to them by the creditors, while emery was sent to seek his fortune in london.about the same time sass gange, for reasons best known to himself, finding it convenient to leave the town, went up also to london, where, with the character of a highly respectable and confidential man, through the influence of some of his political friends, he obtained a situation as porter in the large west end drapers establishment of messrs padman and co.sass was not a man to allow his talents to remain under a bushel.by means of his persuasive eloquence, he soon induced the confiding mr padman to place the most unbounded confidence in his honesty and devoted attention to business.when the cash received during the day was sent to the bank by one of the clerks, sass was invariably ordered to follow, to be ready to assist him should he be waylaid by pickpockets, and to see that he faithfully deposited the amount as directed.sass did not know how much was carried, but he guessed that at times it must be a considerable sum.chapter three.sass gange had been for some time in the employment of messrs padman, when one day as he entered the shop he saw behind the counter his former elmerston acquaintance, emery dulman, busily engaged in serving a customer.emery did not recognise him, nor did he just then wish to be recognised, so he passed quickly on to deliver the parcels he had just brought in.he observed, however, that emery was even better dressed than usualthat he wore a fashionablycut black suit, a neckcloth of snowy whiteness, a gold ring on his finger, and a somewhat large gold watchchain, ostentatiously exhibited.as he was repassing, emery looked up, when sass gave him an almost unperceived wink, and turning away his head, hurried on.i hope that he will have the sense not to tell any one that we are acquainted, he thought.i must let him know where i live, and he will soon be coming to have a talk over old times.sass might have been pretty sure that emery was not likely to tell any one that they were acquainted; indeed, that young gentlemans chief pleasure was boasting to his new associates of his highlyconnected and fashionable friends, and bewailing the hard fate which had compelled him to become a drapers assistant.some were inclined in consequence to treat him with respect, but many of the older hands laughed at his folly, and having discovered who his father was, observed that he was fortunate in obtaining so good a situation in a business for which he ought to be well suited.sass soon found an opportunity of letting emery know where he lived, and the next day received a visit from him, when the usual pipe and ale were prepared for his entertainment.curious that we should meet again, master emery, in this big city, observed sass.we all have our `ups and downs, and you have had one of the `downs lately, so it appears.well, i have had them in my time.i never told you that i got my education, such as it is, at elmerston grammarschool, and i might have been a steadygoing burgess, with pink cheeks and a fat paunch, if i had stuck to business.but i had no fancy for that sort of life; so one morning, taking french leave of school, and father and mother, and brothers and sisters, i went off to sea.when i came back some years afterwards, all who were likely to care for me were dead or scattered; so i set off again, and knocked about in all parts of the world till about two or three years ago, when, having a little money in my pocket, and thinking i should like a spell on shore, i found my way back to the old place.i made myself useful, as you know, to the grandees; and as i did not wish to go to sea again just then, one of them got me this situation.though i cant say its much to my taste, i intend to stick to it as long as it suits me.i dont see anything very tempting in the life you have led, observed emery.i have not told you much about its pleasures, the curious countries i have visited, and the strange adventures i have met with, answered sass.for my part, i would not have missed them on any account.when you come to hear about them, you will have a fancy for setting off too, or i am much mistaken.with a young companion like you i should not mind taking another trip, and enjoying myself for a few years more afloat, instead of leading the dull life you and i are doomed to in london.such was the style of conversation with which the old rogue entertained his credulous young guest.the adventures he described were highly entertaining, garnished as they were by his fertile imagination, and emery began to wonder how he could consent to remain on shore when so delightful an existence might be led by going off to sea.emery, however, had not got over his fancy for trying to assume the airs of a fine gentleman.on sundays, though he went with his employers family and the rest of the young men in the establishment to church, as soon as dinner was over it was his delight to saunter out into the park, and loll over the railings round the drive with a goldheaded cane in his hand, watching the gay people as they drove past in their carriages.occasionally he would lift his hat as if returning a bow from a lady, or he waved his hand as if recognising a gentleman acquaintance.some might have considered him only foolish; but he was undoubtedly acting a lie, and trying to deceive those around him