RaggleslovedandadoredtheCrawleyfamilyastheauthorofallhisprosperityinlife。Hehadasilhouetteofhismistressinhisbackshop，andadrawingofthePorter’sLodgeatQueen’sCrawley，donebythatspinsterherselfinIndiaink——andtheonlyadditionhemadetothedecorationsoftheCurzonStreetHousewasaprintofQueen’sCrawleyinHampshire，theseatofSirWalpoleCrawley，Baronet，whowasrepresentedinagildedcardrawnbysixwhitehorses，andpassingbyalakecoveredwithswans，andbargescontainingladiesinhoops，andmusicianswithflagsandpenwigs。IndeedRagglesthoughttherewasnosuchpalaceinalltheworld，andnosuchaugustfamily。
Asluckwouldhaveit，Raggles’houseinCurzonStreetwastoletwhenRawdonandhiswifereturnedtoLondon。
TheColonelknewitanditsownerquitewell；thelatter’sconnectionwiththeCrawleyfamilyhadbeenkeptupconstantly，forRaggleshelpedMr。BowlswheneverMissCrawleyreceivedfriends。AndtheoldmannotonlylethishousetotheColonelbutofficiatedashisbutlerwheneverhehadcompany；Mrs。RagglesoperatinginthekitchenbelowandsendingupdinnersofwhicholdMissCrawleyherselfmighthaveapproved。Thiswastheway，then，Crawleygothishousefornothing；forthoughRaggleshadtopaytaxesandrates，andtheinterestofthemortgagetothebrotherbutler；andtheinsuranceofhislife；andthechargesforhischildrenatschool；andthevalueofthemeatanddrinkwhichhisownfamily——andforatimethatofColonelCrawleytoo——consumed；andthoughthepoorwretchwasutterlyruinedbythetransaction，hischildrenbeingflungonthestreets，andhimselfdrivenintotheFleetPrison：yetsomebodymustpayevenforgentlemenwholivefornothingayear——andsoitwasthisunluckyRaggleswasmadetherepresentativeofColonelCrawley’sdefectivecapital。
IwonderhowmanyfamiliesaredriventorogueryandtoruinbygreatpractitionersinCrawlersway？——howmanygreatnoblemenrobtheirpettytradesmen，condescendtoswindletheirpoorretainersoutofwretchedlittlesumsandcheatforafewshillings？WhenwereadthatanoblenoblemanhasleftfortheContinent，orthatanothernoblenoblemanhasanexecutioninhishouse——andthatoneorotherowessixorsevenmillions，thedefeatseemsgloriouseven，andwerespectthevictiminthevastnessofhisruin。Butwhopitiesapoorbarberwhocan’tgethismoneyforpowderingthefootmen’sheads；
orapoorcarpenterwhohasruinedhimselfbyfixingupornamentsandpavilionsformylady’sdejeuner；orthepoordevilofatailorwhomthestewardpatronizes，andwhohaspledgedallheisworth，andmore，togettheliveriesready，whichmylordhasdonehimthehonourtobespeak？Whenthegreathousetumblesdown，thesemiserablewretchesfallunderitunnoticed：astheysayintheoldlegends，beforeamangoestothedevilhimself，hesendsplentyofothersoulsthither。