FIRST MEMBER.

What, Stingy Jack's? oh!

CHORUS OF MEMBERS.

Oh! oh!

OLD MEMBER.

Waiter!-the snuff-box.

EVELYN (rising in great agitation).

No more, no more-I've done!-quite enough. Glossmore, Stout, Blount,-I'll pay you to-morrow. I-I-. Death!-this is ruinous!

[Seizes the snuff-box; Old Member as before.

SIR JOHN.

Ruinous? I dare say it is! What has he lost? what has he lost, Smooth? Not much? eh? eh?

[Omnes gather round SMOOTH.

SMOOTH.

Oh, a trifle, dear John !-excuse me! We never tell our winnings. (TO BLOUNT) How d'ye do, Fred?-(To GLOSSMORE) By the by, Charles, don't you want to sell your house in Grosvenor-square?-12,0007., eh?

GLOSSMORE.

Yes, and the furniture at a valuation. About 30007.

more.

SMOOTH (looking over his pocketbook).

Um !-Well, we 'll talk of it.

SIR JOHN.

12 and 3-15,000l. What a cold-blooded rascal it is!-15,0007., Smooth?

SMOOTH.

Oh, the house itself is a trifle, but the establishment-I'm considering whether I have enough to keep it up, my dear John.

OLD MEMBER.

Waiter, the snuff-box! (Scraping it round, and with a wry face)-And it's all gone! (Gives it to the Waiter to fill.)

SIR JOHN (turning round).

And it's all gone!

EVELYN (starting up and laughing hysterically). Ha! ha! all gone? not a bit of it. Smooth, this club is so noisy. Sir John, you are always in the way. Come to my house! come! Champagne and a broiled bone. Nothing venture, nothing have! The luck must turn, and by Jupiter we'll make a night of it!

A night of it!!!

SIR JOHN.

For Heaven's sake, Evelyn! EVELYN !!-think what you are about!-think of Georgina's feelings!-think of your poor lost mother!think of the babes unborn!-think of

EVELYN.

I'll think of nothing! Zounds!--you don't know

H

what I have lost, man; it's all your fault, distracting my attention! Pshaw-pshaw! Out of the way, do! Come, Smooth. Ha! ha! a night of it, my boy-a night of it! [Exeunt SMOOTH and EVELYN.

SIR JOHN (following).

You must not, you shall not! Evelyn!-he's drunk-he's mad!

Evelyn,

Evelyn, my dear

Will no one send

for the police?

MEMBERS.

Ha ha ha! Poor old Stingy Jack!

OLD MEMBER (rising for the first time, and in a great rage).

Waiter, the snuff-box!

END OF ACT III.

ACT IV.

SCENE I.

The Anteroom in EVELYN's house, as in Scene I. Act II. TABOURET, MACFINCH, FRANTZ, and other tradesmen.

TABOURET (half whispers).

So, I hear that Mr. Evelyn is turned gamester! There are strange reports about to-day-I don't know what to make of it! We must look sharp, Mr. Macfinch, we poor tradesmen, and make hay while the sun shines.

MACFINCH.

I wuish those geeming-houses were aw at the deevil ! -it's a sheam and a sin for gentlemen to gang and ruin themselves, when we honest tradesmen could do it for them with sae muckle advantage to the arts and coummerce o' the country!

[Omnes shake their heads approvingly.

Enter SMOOTH from the inner room, with a pocketbook and pencil in his hand.

SMOOTH (looking round).

Hum! ha! Fine pictures !-(Feeling the curtains)

The new-fashioned velvet, hem! good-proportioned rooms! Yes, this house is better than Glossmore's! Oh, Mr. Tabouret, the upholsterer! you furnished these rooms! All of the best? eh!

TABOURET.

Oh! the VERY best! Mr. Evelyn is not a man to grudge expense, Sir!

SMOOTH.

He is not indeed. You've been paid, I suppose, Tabouret ?

TABOURET.

No, Sir, no-I never send in my bills when a customer is rich. (Aside) Bills are like trees, and grow by standing.

SMOOTH.

Humph! Not PAID? humph!

[Omnes gather round.

MACFINCH.

I dinna like that hoomph, there's something vara suspeecious abun' it.

TABOURET (to the tradesmen).

It's the great card-player, Captain Smooth-finest player in Europe-cleaned out the Duke of Silly Val. Uncommonly clever man!

SMOOTH (pacing about the room).

Thirty-six feet by twenty-eight-Um! I think a