; in the same
character I was ejected from your house by your father's domestics; and
in no character at all have I since been enabled to see you. We now meet
again, and I proudly own that I am--Theodosius Butler.'

The young lady appeared perfectly satisfied with this argumentative
address, and bestowed a look of the most ardent affection on the immortal
advocate of bees'-wax.

'May I hope,' said he, 'that the promise your father's violent behaviour
interrupted, may be renewed?'

'Let us join this set,' replied Lavinia, coquettishly--for girls of
nineteen _can_ coquette.

'No,' ejaculated he of the nankeens. 'I stir not from this spot,
writhing under this torture of suspense. May I--may I--hope?'

'You may.'

'The promise is renewed?'

'It is.'

'I have your permission?'

'You have.'

'To the fullest extent?'

'You know it,' returned the blushing Lavinia. The contortions of the
interesting Butler's visage expressed his raptures.

We could dilate upon the occurrences that ensued. How Mr. Theodosius and
Miss Lavinia danced, and talked, and sighed for the remainder of the
evening--how the Miss Crumptons were delighted thereat. How the
writing-master continued to frisk about with one-horse power, and how his
wife, from some unaccountable freak, left the whist-table in the little
back-parlour, and persisted in displaying her green head-dress in the
most conspicuous part of the drawing-room. How the supper consisted of
small triangular sandwiches in trays, and a tart here and there by way of
variety; and how the visitors consumed warm water disguised with lemon,
and dotted with nutmeg, under the denomination of negus. These, and
other matters of as much interest, however, we pass over, for the purpose
of describing a scene of even more importance.

A fortnight after the date of the ball, Cornelius Brook Dingwall, Esq.,
M.P., was seated at the same library-table, and in the same room, as we
have before described. He was alone, and his face bore an expression of
deep thought and solemn gravity--he was drawing up 'A Bill for the better
observance of Easter Monday.'

The footman tapped at the door--the legislator started from his reverie,
and 'Miss Crumpton' was announced. Permission was given for Miss
Crumpton to enter the _sanctum_; Maria came sliding in, and having taken
her seat with a due portion of affectation, the footman retired, and the
governess was left alone with the M.P. Oh! how she lon