(Here the little
innocent before noticed, fell out of an arm-chair with an awful crash.)

'Naughty boy!' said his mamma, who appeared more surprised at his taking
the liberty of falling down, than at anything else; 'I'll ring the bell
for James to take him away.'

'Pray don't check him, my love,' said the diplomatist, as soon as he
could make himself heard amidst the unearthly howling consequent upon the
threat and the tumble. 'It all arises from his great flow of spirits.'
This last explanation was addressed to Miss Crumpton.

'Certainly, sir,' replied the antique Maria: not exactly seeing, however,
the connexion between a flow of animal spirits, and a fall from an
arm-chair.

Silence was restored, and the M.P. resumed: 'Now, I know nothing so
likely to effect this object, Miss Crumpton, as her mixing constantly in
the society of girls of her own age; and, as I know that in your
establishment she will meet such as are not likely to contaminate her
young mind, I propose to send her to you.'

The youngest Miss Crumpton expressed the acknowledgments of the
establishment generally. Maria was rendered speechless by bodily pain.
The dear little fellow, having recovered his animal spirits, was standing
upon her most tender foot, by way of getting his face (which looked like
a capital O in a red-lettered play-bill) on a level with the
writing-table.

'Of course, Lavinia will be a parlour boarder,' continued the enviable
father; 'and on one point I wish my directions to be strictly observed.
The fact is, that some ridiculous love affair, with a person much her
inferior in life, has been the cause of her present state of mind.
Knowing that of course, under your care, she can have no opportunity of
meeting this person, I do not object to--indeed, I should rather
prefer--her mixing with such society as you see yourself.'

This important statement was again interrupted by the high-spirited
little creature, in the excess of his joyousness breaking a pane of
glass, and nearly precipitating himself into an adjacent area. James was
rung for; considerable confusion and screaming succeeded; two little blue
legs were seen to kick violently in the air as the man left the room, and
the child was gone.

'Mr. Brook Dingwall would like Miss Brook Dingwall to learn everything,'
said Mrs. Brook Dingwall, who hardly ever said anything at all.

'Certainly,' said both the Miss Crumptons together.

'And as I trust the plan I have de