"Annual" sketches. Our extract is one of the most
buoyant pieces in the volume--

A CASTLE IN THE AIR.

_By Miss Mitford_.[5]

[5] This ingenious lady is the most indefatigable of all
lady-writers of the present day. Her "Sketches" will soon reach
the famed "One Thousand and One." At this moment too, our
favourite authoress is engaged on two tragedies for the patent
theatres--one _Inez de Castro_, which has been poetized in
half-a-dozen forms of late, and is even in the _Amulet_
before us: the subject and title of the second tragedy is
_Otho_: both will probably be of a melo-dramatic cast, which
founded the success of _Rienzi_. If it should be so, the fault
will not rest with the fair authoress, the managers, or admirers
of the pure drama; we need not add where the blame lies.

"Can any one tell me of a house to be let hereabouts?" asked I, this
afternoon, coming into the room, with an open letter in my hand, and an
unusual animation of feeling and of manner. "Our friends, the Camdens,
want to live amongst us again, and have commissioned me to make
inquiries for a residence."

This announcement, as I expected, gave general delight; for Mr. Camden
is the most excellent and most agreeable person under the sun, except
his wife, who is even more amiable than her amiable husband: to regain
such neighbours was felt to be an universal benefit, more especially
to us who were so happy as to call them friends. My own interest in
the house question was participated by all around me, and the usual
enumeration of vacant mansions, and the several objections to each (for
where ever was a vacant mansion without its objection?) began with zeal
and rapidity.

"Cranley Hall," said one.

"Too large!"

"Hinton Park?"

"Too much land."

"The White House at Hannonby--the Belvidere, as the late people called
it?"

"What! is that flourishing establishment done up? But Hannonby is too
far off--ten miles at least."

"Queen's Bridge Cottage?"

"Ay, that sweet place would have suited exactly, but it's let. The
Browns took it only yesterday."

"Sydenham Court?"

"That might have done too, but it's not in the market. The Smiths intend
to stay."

"Lanton Abbey?"

"Too low; grievously damp."

By this time, however, we had arrived at the end of our list; nobody
could remember another place to be let, or likely to be let, and
confessing ours