The Captain had been a gentleman’s gentleman, and his lady of no higher rank.  The society which this worthy pair kept was at a sort of ordinary which they held, and at which their friends were always welcome on payment of a certain moderate sum for their dinner.  After dinner, you may be sure that cards were not wanting, and that the company who played did not play for love merely.  To these parties persons of all sorts would come:  young bloods from the regiments garrisoned in Dublin:  young clerks from the Castle; horse-riding, wine-tippling, watchman-beating men of fashion about town, such as existed in Dublin in that day more than in any other city with which I am acquainted in Europe.  I never knew young fellows make such a show, and upon such small means.  I never knew young gentlemen with what I may call such a genius for idleness; and whereas an Englishman with fifty guineas a year is not able to do much more than starve, and toil like a slave in a profession, a young Irish buck with the same sum will keep his horses, and drink his bottle, and live as lazy as a lord.  Here was a doctor who never had a patient, cheek by jowl with an attorney who never had a client:  neither had a guinea—­each had a good horse to ride in the Park, and the best of clothes to his back.  A sporting clergyman without a living; several young wine-merchants, who consumed much more liquor than they had or sold; and men of similar character, formed the society at the house into which, by ill luck, I was thrown.  What could happen to a man but misfortune from associating with such company?—­(I have not mentioned the ladies of the society, who were, perhaps, no better than the males)—­and in a very very short time I became their prey.

As for my poor twenty guineas, in three days I saw, with terror, that they had dwindled down to eight:  theatres and taverns having already made such cruel inroads in my purse.  At play I had lost, it is true, a couple of pieces; but seeing that every one round about me played upon honour and gave their bills, I, of course, preferred that medium to the payment of ready money, and when I lost paid on account.

With the tailors, saddlers, and others, I employed similar means; and in so far Mr. Fitzsimons’s representation did me good, for the tradesmen took him at his word regarding my fortune (I have since learned that the rascal pigeoned several other young men of property), and for a little time supplied me with any goods I might be pleased to order.  At length, my cash running low, I was compelled to pawn some of the suits with which the tailor had provided me; for I did not like to part with my mare, on which I daily rode in the Park, and which I loved as the gift of my respected uncle.  I raised some little money, too, on a few trinkets which I had purchased of a jeweller who pressed his credit upon me; and thus was enabled to keep up appearances for yet a little time.