"What! are you a stranger in London, sir?" cried the well-dressed gentleman, transferring his eyes from the horseman to Markham's countenance, on which they were fixed with an expression of surprise and interest. "Very nearly so, although a resident in its immediate vicinity all my life;" and, with the natural ingenuousness of youth, Richard immediately communicated his entire history, from beginning to end, to his new acquaintance. Of a surety there was not much to relate; but the stranger succeeded in finding out who the young man was, under what circumstances he was now living, and the amount of his present and future resources. "Of course you mean to see life?" said the stranger. "Certainly. I have already studied the great world by the means of books." "But of course you know that there is nothing like experience." "I can understand how experience is necessary to a man who is anxious to make a fortune, but not to him who has already got one." "Oh, decidedly! It is frequently more difficult to keep a fortune than it was to obtain one." "How--if I do not speculate?" "No; but others will speculate upon you." "I really cannot comprehend you. As I do not wish to increase my means, having enough, I shall neither speculate with my own nor allow people to speculate with it for me; and thus I can run no risk of losing what I possess." The stranger gazed half incredulously upon Markham for a minute; and then his countenance expressed a species of sneer. "You have never played?" "Played! at----?" "At cards; for money, I mean." "Oh! never!" "So much the better: never do. Unless," added the stranger, "it is entirely amongst friends and men of honour. But will you avail yourself of my humble vehicle, and take one turn round 'the Drive?'" The stranger pointed as he spoke to a very handsome phaeton and pair at a little distance, and attended by a dapper-looking servant in light blue livery with silver lace. "Might I have the honour of being acquainted with the name of a gentleman who exhibits so much kindness----"