s "brodigious," and
guaranteed that she should become a first-rate singer. The pupil was
apt, the master was exceedingly skilful; and, accordingly, Mrs. Walker's
progress was very remarkable: although, for her part, honest Mrs. Crump,
who used to attend her daughter's lessons, would grumble not a little at
the new system, and the endless exercises which she, Morgiana, was made
to go through. It was very different in HER time, she said. Incledon
knew no music, and who could sing so well now? Give her a good English
ballad: it was a thousand times sweeter than your "Figaros" and
"Semiramides."

In spite of these objections, however, and with amazing perseverance and
cheerfulness, Mrs. Walker pursued the method of study pointed out to her
by her master. As soon as her husband went to the City in the morning
her operations began; if he remained away at dinner, her labours still
continued: nor is it necessary for me to particularise her course of
study, nor, indeed, possible; for, between ourselves, none of the
male Fitz-Boodles ever could sing a note, and the jargon of scales and
solfeggios is quite unknown to me. But as no man can have seen persons
addicted to music without remarking the prodigious energies they display
in the pursuit, as there is no father of daughters, however ignorant,
but is aware of the piano-rattling and voice-exercising which go on in
his house from morning till night, so let all fancy, without further
inquiry, how the heroine of our story was at this stage of her existence
occupied.

Walker was delighted with her progress, and did everything but pay
Baroski, her instructor. We know why he didn't pay. It was his nature
not to pay bills, except on extreme compulsion; but why did not Baroski
employ that extreme compulsion? Because, if he had received his money,
he would have lost his pupil, and because he loved his pupil more than
money. Rather than lose her, he would have given her a guinea as well
as her cachet. He would sometimes disappoint a great personage, but he
never missed his attendance on HER; and the truth must out, that he was
in love with her, as Woolsey and Eglantine had been before.

"By the immortel Chofe!" he would say, "dat letell ding sents me mad vid
her big ice! But only vait avile: in six veeks I can bring any voman
in England on her knees to me and you shall see vat I vill do vid my
Morgiana." He attended her for six weeks punctually, and yet Morgiana
was never brought down