`You’dbettertryoncemore，’saidGrimsby，leaningacrossthetable。Andthenhewinkedatme。
`I’venothingtotrywith。”saidthepoordevil，withaghastlysmile。
`Oh，Huntingdonwilllendyouwhatyouwant，’saidtheother。
`No；youheardmyoath，’answeredLowborough，turningawayinquietdespair。AndItookhimbythearmandledhimout。
`Isittobethelast，Lowborough？’Iasked，whenIgothimintothestreet。
`Thelast，’heanswered，somewhatagainstmyexpectation。AndItookhimhome——thatis，toourclub——forhewasassubmissiveasachild，andpliedhimwithbrandyandwatertillhetolookratherbrighter——rathermorealive，atleast。
`Huntingdon，I’mruined！’saidhe，takingthethirdglassfrommyhand——hehaddrunktheothersindeadsilence。
`Notyou！’saidI。`You’llfindamancanlivewithouthismoneyasmerrilyasatortoisewithoutitshead，orawaspwithoutitsbody。’
`ButI’mindebt，’saidhe——`deepindebt！AndIcannever，nevergetoutofit！’
`Well，whatofthat？manyabettermanthanyouhaslivedanddiedindebt，andtheycan’tputyouinprison，youknow，becauseyou’reapeer。’AndIhandedhimhisfourthtumbler。
`ButIhatetobeindebt！’heshouted。`Iwasn’tbornforit，andIcannotbearit！’
`Whatcan’tbecuredmustbeendured，’saidI，beginningtomixthefifth。
`Andthen，I’velostmyCaroline，’Andhebegantosnivelthen，forthebrandyhadsoftenedhisheart。
`Nomatter，’Ianswered，`therearemoreCarolinesintheworldthanone。’
`There’sonlyoneforme，’hereplied，withadoloroussigh。`Andiftherewerefiftymore，who’stogetthem，Iwonder，withoutmoney？’
`Oh，somebodywilltakeyouforyourtitle；andthenyou’veyourfamilyestateyet；that’sentailed，youknow，’
`IwishtoGodIcouldsellittopaymydebts，’hemuttered。
`Andthen，’saidGrimsby，whohadjustcomein，`youcantryagain，youknow。IwouldhaveonemorechanceifIwereyou。
I’dneverstophere。’
`Iwon’t，Itellyou！’shoutedhe。Andhestartedupandlefttheroom——walkingratherunsteadily，fortheliquorhadgotintohishead。
Hewasnotsomuchusedtoitthen，butafterthat，hetooktoitkindlytosolacehiscares。
`Hekepthisoathaboutgamblingnotalittletothesurpriseofusall，thoughGrimsbydidhisutmosttotempthimtobreakit：buthowhehadgotholdofanotherhabitthatbotheredhimnearlyasmuch，forhesoondiscoveredthatthedemonofdrinkwasasblackasthedemonofplay，andnearlyashardtogetridof——especiallyashiskindfriendsdidalltheycouldtosecondthepromptingsofhisowninsatiablecravings。’
`Then，theyweredemonsthemselves，’criedI，unabletocontainmyindignation。`Andyou，MrHuntingdon，itseems，werethefirsttotempthim。’
`Well，whatcouldwedo？’repliedhe，deprecatingly——`Wemeantitinkindness——wecouldn’tbeartoseethepoorfellowsomiserable：——andbesides，hewassuchadamperuponus，sittingthere，silentandglum，whenhewasunderthethreefoldinfluenceofthelossofhissweetheart，thelossofhisfortune，andthereactionofthelastnight’sdebauch；
whereas，whenhehadsomethinginhim，ifhewasnotmerryhimself，hewasanunfailingsourceofmerrimenttous。EvenGrimsbycouldchuckleoverhisoddSayings：theydelightedhimfarmorethanmymerryjestsorHattersleysriotousmirth。Butoneevening，whenweweresittingoverourwine，afteroneofourclubdinners，andhadallbeenheartytogether，——Lowboroughgivingusmadtoasts，andheatingourwildsongsandbearingahandintheapplause，ifhedidnothelpustosingthemhimself，——hesuddenlyrelapsedintosilence，sinkinghisheadonhishand，andneverliftinghisglasstohislips；——butthiswasnothingnew；sowelethimalone，andwentonwithourjollification，till，suddenlyraisinghishead，heinterruptedusinthemiddleofaroaroflaughterbyexclaiming，——
`Gentlemen，whereisallthistoend？——Willyoujusttellmethatnow？——Whereisitalltoend？’
`Inhellfire，’growledGrimsby。
`You’vehitit——Ithoughtso！’criedhe。`Wellthen，I’lltellyouwhat’——herose，`Aspeech，aspeech！’shoutedwe。`Hear，hear！Lowborough’sgoingtogiveusaspeech！’
`Hewaitedcalmlytillthethundersofapplauseandjinglingofglasseshadceased，andthenproceeded，——
`It`sonlythis，gentlemen，——thatIthinkwe’dlettergonofarther。
We’dbetterstopwhilewecan，’
`Justso！’criedHattersley——
`Stoppoorsinner，stopandthinkBeforeyoufarthergo，NolongersportuponthebrinkOfeverlastingwoe。’
`Exactly！’repliedhislordship，withtheutmostgravity。`Andifyouchoosetovisitthebottomlesspit，Iwon’tgowithyou——wemustpartcompany，forIswearI’llnotmoveanothersteptowardsit！——What’sthis？’hesaid，takinguphisglassofwine。
`Tasteit，’suggestedI。
`Thisishellbroth！’heexclaimed。`Irenounceitforever！’
Andhethrewitoutintothemiddleofthetable，`Fillagain！’saidI，handinghimthebottle——`andletusdrinktoyourrenunciation。’
`Itsrankpoison，’saidhe，graspingthebottlebytheneck，`andIforswearit！I’vegivenupgambling，andI’llgiveupthistoo。’Hewasonthepointofdeliberatelypouringthewholecontentsofthebottleontothetable，butHargravewresteditfromhim，`Onyoubethecurse，then！’
saidhe。Andbackingfromtheroom，heshouted，`Farewell，yetempters！’
andvanishedamidshoutsoflaughterandapplause。
`Weexpectedhimbackamongusthenextday；buttooursurprise，theplaceremainedvacant：wesawnothingofhimforawholeweek；andwereallybegantothinkhewasgoingtokeephisword。Atlast，oneevening，whenweweremostofusassembledtogetheragain，heentered，silentandgrimasaghost，andwouldhavequietlyslippedintohisusualseatatmyelbow，butweallrosetowelcomehim，andseveralvoiceswereraisedtoaskwhathewouldhave，andseveralhandswerebusywithbottleandglasstoservehim；butIknewasmokingtumblerofbrandyandwaterwouldcomforthimbest，andhadnearlypreparedit，whenhepeevishlypusheditaway，saying，`DoletmealoneHuntingdon！Dobequiet，allofyou！I’mnotcometojoinyou：I’monlycometobewithyouawhile，becauseIcan’tbearmyownthoughts。’Andhefoldedhisarmsandleantbackinhischair；
sowelethimbe。ButIlefttheglassbyhim；andafterawhile，GrimsbyBedmyattentiontowardsit，byasignificantwink；and，onturningmyhead，Isawitwasdrainedtothebottom。Hemadeasigntoreplenish，andquietlypushedupthebottle。Iwillinglycomplied；butLowboroughdetectedthepantomime，and，nettledattheintelligentgrinsthatwerepassingbetweenus，snatchedtheglassfrommyhand，dashedthecontentsofitinGrimsby’sface，threwtheemptytumbleratme，andthenboltedfromtheroom。’
`Ihopehebrokeyourhead，’saidI。
`No，love，’repliedhe，laughingimmoderatelyattherecollectionofthewholeaffair，`hewouldhavedoneso，——andperhapsspoiltmyface，too，butprovidentially，thisforestofcurls’takingoffhishatandshowinghisluxuriantchestnutlocks`savedmyskull，andpreventedtheglassfrombreakingtillitreachedthetable。’
`Afterthat，’hecontinued，`Lowboroughkeptalooffromusaweekortwolonger。Iusedtomeethimoccasionallyinthetown；andthen，asIwastoogood-naturedtoresenthisunmannerlyconduct，andheborenomaliceagainstme，——hewasneverunwillingtotalktome；onthecontrary，hewouldclingtomeandfollowmeanywhere，——buttotheclub，andthegaminghouses，andsuchlikedangerousplacesofresort——hewassowearyofhisownmoping，melancholymind。Atlast，Igothimtocomeinwithmetotheclub，onconditionthatIwouldnottempthimtodrink；andforsometime，hecontinuedtolookinuponusprettyregularlyofanevening，——stillabstaining，withwonderfulperseverance，fromthe`rankpoison’hehadsobravelyforsworn。Butsomeofourmembersprotestedagainstthisconduct。
Theydidnotliketohavehimsittingtherelikeaskeletonatafeast，6
insteadofcontributinghisquotatothegeneralamusement，castingacloudoverall，andwatching，withgreedyeyes，everydroptheycarriedtotheirlips，theyvoweditwasnotfair：andsomeofthemmaintainedthatheshouldeitherbecompelledtodoasothersdidorexpelledfromthesociety，andsworethat，nexttimeheshowedhimself，theywouldtellhimasmuch，and，ifhedidnottakethewarning，proceedtoactivemeasures。However，I
befriendedhimonthisoccasion，andrecommendedthemtolethimbeforawhile，intimatingthat，withalittlepatienceonourparts，hewouldsooncomeroundagain——But，tobesure，itwasratherprovoking；forthoughherefusedtodrinklikeanhonestChristian，itwaswellknowntome，thathekeptaprivatebottleoflaudanumabouthim，whichhewascontinuallysoakingat——orrather，holdingoffandonwith，abstainingonedayandexceedingthenext，justlikethespirits。
`Onenight，however，duringoneofourorgies——oneofourhighfestivals，Imeanbeglidedin，liketheghostinMacbeth，andseatedhimself，asusual，alittlebackfromthetable，inthechairwealwaysplacedfor`thespectre，’whetheritchosetofillitornot。Isawbyhisfacethathewassufferingfromtheeffectsofanoverdoseofhisinsidiouscomforter；
butnobodyspoketohim，andhespoketonobody。Afewsidelongglances，andawhisperedobservationthat`theghostwascome，’wasallthenoticehedrewbyhisappearance，andwewentonwithourmerrycarousalsasbefore，tillhestartledusallbysuddenlydrawinginhischairandleaningforwardwithhiselbowsonthetable，andexclaimingwithportentoussolemnity，——
`Well！itpuzzlesmewhatyoucanfindtobesomerryabout。WhatyouseeinlifeIdon’tknow——Iseeonlytheblacknessofdarknessandafearfullookingforofjudgmentandfieryindignation！’
`Allthecompanysimultaneouslypusheduptheirglassestohim，andIsetthembeforehiminasemicircle，and，tenderlypattinghimontheback，bidhimdrinkandhewouldsoonseeasbrightaprospectasanyofus；buthepushedthemback，muttering，——
`Takethemaway！Iwon’ttasteit，Itellyou——Iwon’t——Iwon’t！’
SoIhandedthemdownagaintotheowners；butIsawthathefollowedthemwithaglareofhungryregretastheydeparted。Then，heclaspedhishandsbeforehiseyestoshutoutthesight，andtwominutesafter，liftedhisheadagain，andsaid，inahoarsebutvehementwhisper，——
`AndyetImust！Huntingdon，getmeaglass。！’
`Takethebottle，man！saidI，thrustingthebrandy-bottleintohishand——butstop，I’mtellingtoomuch，’mutteredthenarrator，startledatthelookIturneduponhim。`Butnomatter，’herecklesslyadded，andthuscontinuedhisrelation——`Inhisdesperateeagerness，heseizedthebottleandsuckedaway，tillhesuddenlydroppedfromhischair，disappearingunderthetableamidatempestofapplause。Theconsequenceofthisimprudencewassomethinglikeanapoplecticfit，followedbyaratherseverebrainfever——’
`Andwhatdidyouthinkofyourself，sir？’saidI，quickly。
`Ofcourse，Iwasverypenitent，’hereplied。`Iwenttoseehimonceortwice——nay，twiceorthrice——or，by’rLady，somefourtimes，——andwhenhegotbetter，Itenderlybroughthimbacktothefold。’
`Whatdoyoumean？’
`Imean，Irestoredhimtothebosomoftheclub，andcompassionatingthefeeblenessofhishealthandextremelownessofhisspirits，Irecommendedhimto`takealittlewineforhisstomachssake，’and，whenhewassufficientlyre-established，toembracethemedia-via，ni-jamais-ni-toujoursplan——nottokillhimselflikeafool，andnottoabstainlikeaninny——inaword，toenjoyhimselflikearationalcreature，anddoasIdid；——fordon’tthink，Helen，thatI’matippler；I’mnothingatallofthekind，andneverwas，andnevershallbe。Ivaluemycomfortfartoomuch。IseethatamanCannotgivehimselfuptodrinkingwithoutbeingmiserableonehalfhisdaysandmadtheother；——besides，Iliketoenjoymylifeatallsidesandends，whichcannotbedonebyonethatsuffershimselftobetheslaveofasinglepropensity——andmoreover，drinkingspoilsone’sgoodlooks，’heconcluded，withamostconceitedsmilethatoughttohaveprovokedmemorethanitdid。
`AnddidLordLowboroughprofitbyyouradvice？’Iasked。