nteel. The question then arose, Where should they go?

'Gravesend?' mildly suggested Mr. Joseph Tuggs. The idea was unanimously
scouted. Gravesend was _low_.

'Margate?' insinuated Mrs. Tuggs. Worse and worse--nobody there, but
tradespeople.

'Brighton?' Mr. Cymon Tuggs opposed an insurmountable objection. All
the coaches had been upset, in turn, within the last three weeks; each
coach had averaged two passengers killed, and six wounded; and, in every
case, the newspapers had distinctly understood that 'no blame whatever
was attributable to the coachman.'

'Ramsgate?' ejaculated Mr. Cymon, thoughtfully. To be sure; how stupid
they must have been, not to have thought of that before! Ramsgate was
just the place of all others.

Two months after this conversation, the City of London Ramsgate steamer
was running gaily down the river. Her flag was flying, her band was
playing, her passengers were conversing; everything about her seemed gay
and lively.--No wonder--the Tuggses were on board.

'Charming, ain't it?' said Mr. Joseph Tuggs, in a bottle-green
great-coat, with a velvet collar of the same, and a blue travelling-cap
with a gold band.

'Soul-inspiring,' replied Mr. Cymon Tuggs--he was entered at the bar.
'Soul-inspiring!'

'Delightful morning, sir!' said a stoutish, military-looking gentleman in
a blue surtout buttoned up to his chin, and white trousers chained down
to the soles of his boots.

Mr. Cymon Tuggs took upon himself the responsibility of answering the
observation. 'Heavenly!' he replied.

'You are an enthusiastic admirer of the beauties of Nature, sir?' said
the military gentleman.

'I am, sir,' replied Mr. Cymon Tuggs.

'Travelled much, sir?' inquired the military gentleman.

'Not much,' replied Mr. Cymon Tuggs.

'You've been on the continent, of course?' inquired the military
gentleman.

'Not exactly,' replied Mr. Cymon Tuggs--in a qualified tone, as if he
wished it to be implied that he had gone half-way and come back again.

'You of course intend your son to make the grand tour, sir?' said the
military gentleman, addressing Mr. Joseph Tuggs.

As Mr. Joseph Tuggs did not precisely understand what the grand tour was,
or how such an article was manufactured, he replied, 'Of course.' Just
as he said the word, there came tripping up, from her seat at the stern
of the vessel, a young lady in a puce-coloured silk cloak, and boots of
the same; with long black ringlets, large black