\"Enfin，mylord，\"saysMr。Deuceace，startingup，andlosingallpatience，\"willyouhavethegoodnesstotellmewhatthisvisitmeans？Youleavemetostarve，forallyoucare;andyougrowmightyfacetiousbecauseIearnmybread。Youfindmeinprosperity，and——\"
\"Precisely，myboy;precisely。Keepyourtemper，andpassthatbottle。Ifindyouinprosperity;andayounggentlemanofyourgeniusandacquirementsasksmewhyIseekyoursociety？Oh，Algernon！Algernon！thisisnotworthyofsuchaprofoundphilosopher。WHYdoIseekyou？Why，becauseyouAREinprosperity，Omyson！else，whythedevilshouldIbothermyselfaboutyou？DidI，yourpoormother，oryourfamily，evergetfromyouasingleaffectionatefeeling？Didwe，oranyotherofyourfriendsorintimates，everknowyoutobeguiltyofasinglehonestorgenerousaction？Didweeverpretendanyloveforyou，oryouforus？AlgernonDeuceace，youdon’twantafathertotellyouthatyouareaswindlerandaspendthrift！Ihavepaidthousandsforthedebtsofyourselfandyourbrothers;and，ifyoupaynobodyelse，Iamdeterminedyoushallrepayme。Youwouldnotdoitbyfairmeans，whenIwrotetoyouandaskedyouforaloanofmoney。
Iknewyouwouldnot。HadIwrittenagaintowarnyouofmycoming，youwouldhavegivenmetheslip;andsoIcame，uninvited，toFORCEyoutorepayme。THAT’SwhyIamhere，Mr。Algernon;andsohelpyourselfandpassthebottle。\"
Afterthisspeach，theoldgenlmnsunkdownonthesofa，andpuffedasmuchsmokeoutofhismouthasifhe’dbeenthechimleyofasteam—injian。Iwaspleased，Iconfess，withthesean，andlikedtoseethisvenrabbleandvirtuousoldmana—nockinghissonaboutthehed;justasDeuceacehaddonewithMr。RichardBlewitt，asI’vebeforeshown。Master’sfacewas，fust，red—hot;next，chawk—
white：andthensky—blew。Helooked，foralltheworld，likeMr。