haunch of venison that ever she saw.

And three cards--viz.

DOWAGER COUNTESS OF DRUM.
LADY FANNY RAKES.

MR. PRESTON.
LADY JANE PRESTON.

EARL OF TIPTOFF.

"Sich a carriage!" says Mrs. Stokes (for that was the way the poor thing
spoke). "Sich a carriage--all over coronites! sich liveries--two great
footmen, with red whiskers and yellow-plush small-clothes; and inside, a
very old lady in a white poke bonnet, and a young one with a great
Leghorn hat and blue ribands, and a great tall pale gentleman with a tuft
on his chin.

"'Pray, madam, does Mr. Titmarsh live here?' says the young lady, with
her clear voice.

"'Yes, my Lady,' says I; 'but he's at the office--the West Diddlesex Fire
and Life Office, Cornhill.'

"'Charles, get out the things,' says the gentleman, quite solemn.

"'Yes, my Lord,' says Charles; and brings me out the haunch in a
newspaper, and on the chany dish as you see it, and the two baskets of
fruit besides.

"'Have the kindness, madam,' says my Lord, 'to take these things to Mr.
Titmarsh's rooms, with our, with Lady Jane Preston's compliments, and
request his acceptance of them;' and then he pulled out the cards on your
table, and this letter, sealed with his Lordship's own crown."

And herewith Mrs. Stokes gave me a letter, which my wife keeps to this
day, by the way, and which runs thus:--

"The Earl of Tiptoff has been commissioned by Lady Jane Preston to
express her sincere regret and disappointment that she was not able
yesterday to enjoy the pleasure of Mr. Titmarsh's company. Lady Jane
is about to leave town immediately: she will therefore be unable to
receive her friends in Whitehall Place this season. But Lord Tiptoff
trusts that Mr. Titmarsh will have the kindness to accept some of the
produce of her Ladyship's garden and park; with which, perhaps, he
will entertain some of those friends in whose favour he knows so well
how to speak."

Along with this was a little note, containing the words "Lady Drum at
home. Friday evening, June 17." And all this came to me because my aunt
Hoggarty had given me a diamond-pin!

I did not send back the venison: as why should I? Gus was for sending it
at once to Brough, our director; and the grapes and peaches to my aunt in
Somersetshire.

"But no," says I; "we'll ask Bob Swinney and half-a-dozen more of our
gents; and we'll have a merry night of it on Saturday." And a merry
night we had too; and as we ha