"Our excellent landlord, Solomon Flint," said Phil. "You all know his admirable powers of memory, and his profound knowledge of men and things (`At least if you don't, you ought to,' from Pax), and you may be sure he'll give us something good." "And proverbial," added little Grigs. "Ay, Flint will certainly strike fire out of whatever he tackles," said Big Jack. ("Order!" from Pax.) "When is he to give it?" asked one. "Won't fix the time just yet," said Phil. "What's his subject?" asked another. "Can't say; not yet decided." With this uncertainty as to time and subject the association was obliged to rest content, and thereafter the meeting was dissolved. We are grieved to be obliged to state that the society thus hopefully commenced came to a premature close at an early period of its career, owing to circumstances over which its members had no control. Some time before that sad event occurred, however, Solomon Flint delivered his discourse, and as some of the events of that memorable evening had special bearing on the issues of our tale, we shall recur to it in a succeeding chapter. CHAPTER FIFTEEN. GEORGE ASPEL RECEIVES VARIOUS VISITORS AT THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SHOP, AND IS CALLED TO VIGOROUS ACTION. As long as a man retains a scrap of self-respect, and struggles, from any motive whatever, against his evil tendencies, his journey to destruction is comparatively slow; but when once he gives way to despair, assumes that he has tried his best in vain, and throws the reins on the neck of his passions, his descent into the dark abyss is terribly rapid. For a time George Aspel was buoyed up by hope. He hoped that May Maylands might yet come to regard him with favour, though she studiously avoided giving him ground for such hope. He also continued, though faintly, to hope that Sir James Clubley might still think of fulfilling his promises, and, in pursuance of that hope, frequently inquired whether any letters had been left for him at the hotel where he first put up on arriving in London. But, when both of these hopes forsook him, and he found himself in what he deemed the ridiculous position of shopman to a bird-stuffer, without an influential friend in the great city, or the slightest prospect of improving his condition, he gave way to despair. Before quite giving way, however, he made several attempts to obtain work more suited to his tastes and acquirements, in which efforts he was heartily seconded by Mr Enoch Blurt; but Enoch was about as unknown in London as himself, so that their united efforts failed. In these circumstances the ambitious youth began to regard himself as a martyr to misfortune, and resolved to enjoy himself as he best might. With a view to this he spent his evenings in places of amusement, with companions whose example and influence helped to drag him down and increase his tendency to drink.