“‘Well, well,’ said the old fellow, ‘perhaps not—perhaps not. Tom——’
“‘Sir——’
“‘I know everything about you, Tom; everything. You’re very poor, Tom.’
“‘I certainly am,’ said Tom Smart. ‘But how came you to know that?’
“‘Never mind that,’ said the old gentleman; ‘you’re much too fond of punch, Tom.’
“Tom Smart was just on the point of protesting that he hadn’t tasted a drop since his last birthday, but when his eye encountered that of the old gentleman, he looked so knowing that Tom blushed, and was silent.
“‘Tom,’ said the old gentleman, ‘the widow’s a fine woman—remarkably fine woman—eh, Tom?’ Here the old fellow screwed up his eyes, cocked up one of his wasted little legs, and looked altogether so unpleasantly amorous, that Tom was quite disgusted with the levity of his behaviour;—at his time of life, too!
“‘I am her guardian, Tom,’ said the old gentleman.
“‘Are you?’ inquired Tom Smart.