
young lord, who, weak and silly as he was, appeared by far the least vicious of
the party. Sir Mulberry Hawk was remarkable for his tact in ruining, by himself
and his creatures, young gentlemen of fortune - a genteel and elegant
profession, of which he had undoubtedly gained the head. With all the boldness
of an original genius, he had struck out an entirely new course of treatment
quite opposed to the usual method; his custom being, when he had gained the
ascendancy over those he took in hand, rather to keep them down than to give
them their own way; and to exercise his vivacity upon them, openly, and without
reserve. Thus, he made them butts, in a double sense, and while he emptied them
with great address, caused them to ring with sundry well-administered taps, for
the diversion of society.
    The dinner was as remarkable for the splendour and completeness of its
appointments as the mansion itself, and the company were remarkable for doing it
ample justice, in which respect Messrs. Pyke and Pluck particularly signalised
themselves; these two gentlemen eating of every dish, and drinking of every
bottle, with a capacity and perseverance truly astonishing. They were remarkably
fresh, too, notwithstanding their great exertions: for, on the appearance of the
dessert, they broke out again, as if nothing serious had taken place since
breakfast.
    »Well,« said Lord Frederick, sipping his first glass of port, »if this is a
discounting dinner, all I have to say is, deyvle take me, if it wouldn't be a
good pla-an to get discount every day.«
    »You'll have plenty of it, in your time,« returned Sir Mulberry Hawk;
»Nickleby will tell you that.«
    »What do you say, Nickleby?« inquired the young man; »am I to be a good
customer?«
    »It depends entirely on circumstances, my lord,« replied Ralph.
    »On your lordship's circumstances,« interposed Colonel Chowser of the
Militia - and the race-courses.
    The gallant colonel glanced at Messrs. Pyke and Pluck as if he thought they
ought to laugh at his joke; but those gentlemen, being only engaged to laugh for
Sir Mulberry Hawk, were, to his signal discomfiture, as grave as a pair of
undertakers. To add to his defeat, Sir Mulberry, considering any such efforts an
invasion of his peculiar privilege, eyed the offender steadily, through his
glass, as if astonished at his presumption, and audibly stated his impression
that it was
