ars after.

I arrived on a Saturday at half-an-hour before dinner: a grave gentleman
out of livery showed me to my room; a man in a chocolate coat and gold
lace, with Brough's crest on the buttons, brought me a silver shaving-pot
of hot water on a silver tray; and a grand dinner was ready at six, at
which I had the honour of appearing in Von Stiltz's dress-coat and my new
silk stockings and pumps.

Brough took me by the hand as I came in, and presented me to his lady, a
stout fair-haired woman, in light blue satin; then to his daughter, a
tall, thin, dark-eyed girl, with beetle-brows, looking very ill-natured,
and about eighteen.

"Belinda my love," said her papa, "this young gentleman is one of my
clerks, who was at our ball."

"Oh, indeed!" says Belinda, tossing up her head.

"But not a common clerk, Miss Belinda,--so, if you please, we will have
none of your aristocratic airs with him. He is a nephew of the Countess
of Drum; and I hope he will soon be very high in our establishment, and
in the city of London."

At the name of Countess (I had a dozen times rectified the error about
our relationship), Miss Belinda made a low curtsey, and stared at me very
hard, and said she would try and make the Rookery pleasant to any friend
of Papa's. "We have not much _monde_ to-day," continued Miss Brough,
"and are only in _petit comite_; but I hope before you leave us you will
see some _societe_ that will make your _sejour_ agreeable."

I saw at once that she was a fashionable girl, from her using the French
language in this way.

"Isn't she a fine girl?" said Brough, whispering to me, and evidently as
proud of her as a man could be. "Isn't she a fine girl--eh, you dog? Do
you see breeding like that in Somersetshire?"

"No, sir, upon my word!" answered I, rather slily; for I was thinking all
the while how "Somebody" was a thousand times more beautiful, simple, and
ladylike.

"And what has my dearest love been doing all day?" said her papa.

"Oh, Pa! I have _pinced_ the harp a little to Captain Fizgig's flute.
Didn't I, Captain Fizgig?"

Captain the Honourable Francis Fizgig said, "Yes, Brough, your fair
daughter _pinced_ the harp, and _touched_ the piano, and _egratigned_ the
guitar, and _ecorched_ a song or two; and we had the pleasure of a
_promenade a l'eau_,--of a walk upon the water."

"Law, Captain!" cries Mrs. Brough, "walk on the water?"

"Hush, Mamma, you don't understand French!" says Miss Belinda,