is eyes, entered into
a minute detail of certain passages in a romantic attachment he had
conceived for a youthful female branch of the aristocracy, whom he
designated as Lady Barbara B.; and how these three gentlemen continued
their various recitals all at one and the same time, edifying the
company by some such composite style of dialogue as the following:--

"So, sir, Slingsby roused me by a kick in the ribs, saying
--umph!"--"Fairest, loveliest of thy sex,"--"Shove on your boots and
buckskins, stick a cigar in your mouth, and clap your leg over,"--"An
elephant half as high again as this room; take a couple of
double-barrelled rifles, and"--"Slap at everything that comes in your
way; no craning, ram in the persuaders, and if you do get a purl"--"Look
upon it as the purest, brightest gem in your noble father's coronet, for
true affection"--"Flung him clean into the tiger's jaws, sir, and the
beast"--"Drew her handkerchief across her eyes, and said, in a voice
which quivered with emotion, 'Love between two young creatures, situated
as we are, would be utter madness, Charles'. To which I replied,
'Barbara, my own sweet girl,'"--"Mind your eye, and look out for
squalls, for that's a rasper, and no mistake".

How all this took place, together with much more notable merriment, not
many degrees removed from "tipsy mirth and jollity," we will leave to
the fertile imagination of the reader to depict. Suffice it to say that,
ere we broke up, Mr. Frampton had distinctly pledged himself to ride one
of Lawless's horses the next hunting-day, and to accompany Archer on
a three weeks' visit to the country seat of Lady Barbara B.'s noble
father, with some ulterior views on his own account in regard to a
younger sister.~250~~

FRANK FAIRLEGH

Part II.

CHAPTER XXXII -- CATCHING SIGHT OF AN OLD FLAME

~250~~

"Give me thy hand... I'm glad to find thee here."
_The Lover's Melancholy_.

"Half light, half shade,
She stood, a sight to make an old man young."
_The Gardener's Daughter_.

UTTERLY worn out, both in mind and body, by hard reading and
confinement, I determined to return to Heathfield forthwith, with "all
my blushing honours thick upon me," and enjoy a few weeks' idleness
before again engaging in any active course of study which might be
necessary to fit me for my future profession. When the post came in,
however, I received a couple of letters which rather