The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-16

seemed flendish delight in the writhing of the victims which he created and then fayed It was such writings as these which gave the genial bon vivant-the honest gentle man, the wholesome friend of humanity his reputation for outrageous cynicism And certainly never was cynicism carried to such a degree as in "The Amours of MT. Deuceace." The monster that Frank enstein created was an estimabe crea- ture and safe companion compared with the Earl of Crabs and his son. the Hon. Algernon Deuceace. Thackeray must have had a "grouch" against humanity whom he wrote the "Amours" of the Hon. Agernon-a very bad case of 1t. But the work Is powerfully, skillfully done; the story Is fascinating and cruel But the story is profitable to read; it makes us shudder and resolve to pick from out our own hearts the cunning sparks of help' which are lurking there Vice In all Its hideousness Is an unlovely picture to look upon at all times But 1t Is at all times, to poor human nature. an interesting picture, and Thackeray had the faculty of so painting his pie lures that, while vice interested, 1t at the same time worked a stimulation of virtue
 -
 THE HON ALGERNON PERCY
 DEUCEACE was the youngest
 ! and fifth son of that most exem- plary nobeman, the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Crabs. Algernon was a barrister. That Is, he was pursuing his legal studies In a theoretical way and lived in Pump Court, Temple. In short, Algernon kept chambers" and looked out for a commis- sionership or any other good thing that a whig government might have to give him, his father being whig peer. Lord Crabs was so poor that he would be anything or nothing to get positions for his sons and an income for himself But poor as he was he managed to allow his son Algernon 9200 a year. which was very handsome in him. The fact that the Rt Hon. Earl never paid his allowance was a mere detail.
 However, the Hon. Algernon was gentleman, and got his allowance of nothing a year and spent 1t in most sentlemanly manner He kept cab, he went to Almack' S and Crockford' s; he moved in the best circles and trou- bled his law books but little. These fashionable people have way of get ting money which common people do not understand Though he had only third floor in Pump Court he lived as if he had the wealth of the Indies. Ten pound notes flew about as common as half-pence; claret and champagne were as common as gin and water among the lowly.
 If he had been a comman man peo- pie would have called him a swindler it is only rank and birth that can warrant such eccentricities as Mr. Deuceace showed. To make short, he was a gambler-and lived by his call ing. For man of no family this is the worst trade there can be for man of common feelings of honesty this pro- fession is quite impossible. But for a real, thoroughbred gentleman it is the easiest and most profitable line that can be taken.
 Some other people besides lawyers and law students lived in the Temple. For instance, on the second floor of the staircase" which had the honor to house the Hon. Algernon lived MT. Richard Blewitt, and opposite Alger non, on the third floor, lived young MT. Dawkins. MT. Dawkins had just Jeff Oxford was an orphan, and had lit tie fortune of his own amounting to f6000 or more. all invested in the funds. He was just of age. and when he came up to London to study law he was glad to find his old Oxford friend. MT. Blew lit, son of the rich Squire Blewitt of Leicestershre. and take rooms near him in the Temple. The Hon. Alger- non. before the arrival of Dawkins, had q, ~f he felt in a particularly good humor he would now and then nod to him as. they met on the stairs. But Blewitt was not in the Deuceace class-not by a great deal.
 Blewitt was what they call betting man. He went regularly to Tatter- sails and dressed in loud and sporty" clothes. He spoke loud and slapped people on the back. Whereas Deu- ceace was one of the best dressed men in London, slim and elegant, correct in department and quiet in his manner. His face was lean and sallow-not red and puffy like MT. Blewitt's-and his hands were as white and delicate as a woman's. Yet MT. Blewitt and MT. Deucease were of the same profession in different classes of society and nat urally by different methods. The two gamblers and swindlers knew each other perfectly-there is a sort of in stinctive understanding among the fra ternity however they may be separated by social conditions, manners and tenn peraments. MT. Blewitt had an income from his father of s3o0o a year-paid. He spent about 1000 a year and owed half as much more. But the Hon. AL gernon had an income of nothing year and owed about e140o and spend noth- ing if he could help it--except for his own pleasures when he had to and in the way of business.
 Charles. you scoundrel," said MT. Deucace one day to his man." MT. Charles James Yellowplush-the distin- guished author who afterward wrote his mcmoirs-''who is that young man who has the chambers opposite and plays the flute so industriously Its MT. Dawkins from Hoxfordy said Charles. 'and great friend of Mf. Blewitt's-- they seem to live in each others cham bers.
 Deucease gave saraonic grin. The next time he met MT. Blewitt on the stairs-and he managed to do so gretty soon-.he greeted him cordially, and though Blewitt was sulky, he man. aged to force an invitation into the sporting mans" room and had con fidential talk with him. The subject of Taxulxinc xua taf nnra ontered into. hllt