I'm afraid you've been having a slow time .-- Yours ever, Jack.
"P.S .-- I've written to M., B., and Company, to tell them I'll be up on Monday next." It seemed almost too good to be true that I should so soon see my friend again.

Ah! how different it would all be when he came back! For the next week I could think of nothing else.

What a lot I should have to tell him! How he would laugh over my adventures and misfortunes, and how he would scold me for my extravagances and follies! Well, these would be over at last, that was a comfort.
So, during the week, in view of giving up my extravagances, I bought a new suit of ready-made clothes that only half fitted me, and went on the Saturday afternoon with Whipcord and the Twins to see a steeplechase, where I was tempted to put two half-crowns, which I borrowed from the Twins, into a sweepstake, and lost them both.

This was a good finish up to my little "fling" and no mistake; so much so that I began to think it was a pity Jack had not come last Monday instead of next.
"He would have kept me out of all this mischief," said I to myself.

Ah! I had yet to learn that if one wants to keep out of mischief one must not depend altogether upon one's friends, or even oneself, for the blessing.