Some Champagne Punch gave a new though temporary fillip to the entertainments of the evening. For after leading to some noisy proceedings, which were not intelligible, it ended in the unsteady departure of the two gentlemen of the world, and the slumber of Mr. Jonas upon one of the sofas.

As he could not be made to understand where he was, Mr. Bailey received orders to call a hackney- coach, and take him home: which that young gentleman roused himself from an uneasy sleep in the hall, to do. It being now almost three o'clock in the morning.

`Is he hooked, do you think?' whispered Crimple, as himself and partner stood in a distant part of the room observing him as he lay.

`Aye!' said Tigg, in the same tone. `With a strong iron, perhaps. Has Nadgett been here to-night?'

`Yes. I went out to him. Hearing you had company, he went away.'

`Why did be do that?'

`He said he would come back early in the morning, before you were out of bed.'

`Tell them to be sure and send him up to my bedside. Hush! Here's the boy! Now Mr. Bailey, take this gentleman home, and see him safely in. Hallo here! Why Chuzzlewit, halloa!'

They got him upright with some difficulty, and assisted him down-stairs, where they put his hat upon his head, and tumbled him into the coach. Mr. Bailey, having shut him in, mounted the box beside the coachman, and smoked his cigar with an air of particular satisfaction; the undertaking in which he was engaged having a free and sporting character about it, which was quite congenial to his taste.

Arriving in due time at the house in the City, Mr. Bailey jumped down, and expressed the lively nature of his feelings in a knock the like of which had probably not been heard in that quarter since the great fire of London. Going out into the road to observe the effect of this feat, he saw that a dim light, previously visible at an upper window, had been already removed and was travelling down-stairs. To obtain a foreknowledge of the bearer of this taper, Mr. Bailey skipped back to the door again, and put his eye to the keyhole.

It was the merry one herself. But sadly, strangely altered! So careworn and dejected, so faltering and full of fear; so fallen, humbled, broken; that to have seen her quiet in her coffin would have been a less surprise.

She set the light upon a bracket in the hall, and laid her hand upon her heart, upon her eyes; upon her burning head. Then she came on towards the door with such a wild and hurried step that Mr. Bailey lost his self-possession, and still had his eye where the keyhole had been, when she opened it.

`Aha!' said Mr. Bailey, with an effort. `There you are, are you? What's the matter? Ain't you well, though?'

In the midst of her astonishment as she recognised him in his altered dress, so much of her old smile came back to her face that Bailey was glad. But next moment he was sorry again, for he saw tears standing in her poor dim eyes.

`Don't be frightened,' said Bailey. `There ain't nothing the matter I've brought home Mr. Chuzzlewit. He ain't ill. He's only a little swipey, you know.' Mr. Bailey reeled in his boots, to express intoxication.

`Have you come from Mrs. Todgers's?' asked Merry, trembling.

`Todgers's, bless you! No!' cried Mr. Bailey. `I haven't got nothin, to do with Todgers's. I cut that connexion long ago. He's been a-dining with my governor at the West-end. Didn't you know he was a-coming to see us?'