He seemed to take a malignant delight in persuading himself that the sober life of the world was contemptible and base.
"Ah!" he exclaimed, "how right you were to tell me to marry respectably; to have a solid position; to live in decorous fear of the world and one's wife; and to command the envy of the poor, the good opinion of the rich.

You have practised what you preach.

Delicious existence! The merchant's desk and the curtain lecture! Ha! ha! Shall we have another night of it ?" Mervale, embarrassed and irritated, turned the conversation upon Glyndon's affairs.

He was surprised at the knowledge of the world which the artist seemed to have suddenly acquired, surprised still more at the acuteness and energy with which he spoke of the speculations most in vogue at the market.

Yes; Glyndon was certainly in earnest: he desired to be rich and respectable,--and to make at least ten per cent for his money! After spending some days with the merchant, during which time he contrived to disorganise all the mechanism of the house, to turn night into day, harmony into discord, to drive poor Mrs.Mervale half-distracted, and to convince her husband that he was horribly hen-pecked, the ill-omened visitor left them as suddenly as he had arrived.