[Illustration: ‘BEGONE!’ HE CRIED; ‘BEGONE! BOTH OF YOU.’] THE TALK OF THE TOWN BY JAMES PAYN AUTHOR OF ‘BY PROXY’ ETC. ETC. IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. II. _SECOND EDITION_ LONDON SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE 1885 [_All rights reserved_] CONTENTS OF THE SECOND VOLUME. CHAP. PAGE XIX. ANOTHER DISCOVERY 1 XX. A TRUE LOVER 13 XXI. A TIFF 30 XXII. A BARGAIN 46 XXIII. AN UNEXPECTED ALLY 63 XXIV. MANAGERS 81 XXV. TWO DISTINGUISHED VISITORS 99 XXVI. TWO ACTRESSES 113 XXVII. A ROYAL PATRON 134 XXVIII. THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER 154 XXIX. THE CYPHER 172 XXX. THE PLAY 185 XXXI. THE MESSENGER OF DISGRACE 207 XXXII. THE FEET OF CLAY 223 XXXIII. BREAKING IT 239 XXXIV. A COMFORTER 252 XXXV. FAREWELL 266 _ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. II._ ‘BEGONE!’ HE CRIED; ‘BEGONE! BOTH OF YOU.’ _Frontispiece_ ‘THEN, IF YOU PLEASE, SIR, I WILL TAKE MARGARET.’ _to face p._ 54 THE OTHER, INSTEAD OF TAKING HIS HAND, DREW HIMSELF UP ” 100 ‘THAT’S MUCH BETTER,’ SMILED MRS. JORDAN APPROVINGLY ” 128 ‘I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE COME FOR. YOU ARE COME FOR THIS LETTER.’ ” 172 THE NEXT MOMENT THE CORRIDOR WAS FULL OF AN EXCITED RABBLE ” 194 ‘SO GOOD OF YOU; SO LIKE YOU, MARGARET,’ HE MURMURED ” 274 THE TALK OF THE TOWN. CHAPTER XIX. ANOTHER DISCOVERY. [Illustration]