d, at
each of these injunctions, he struck the back of his right hand sharply
against the palm of the left. "Good, sir--good!" he occasionally
uttered, in the same sharp, cracked tone, as the voice of Francis Ardry
became more and more vehement. "Infinitely good!" he exclaimed, as
Francis Ardry raised his voice to the highest pitch; "and now, sir,
abate; let the tempest of vehemence decline--gradually, sir; not too
fast. Good, sir--very good!" as the voice of Francis Ardry declined
gradually in vehemence. "And now a little pathos, sir--try them with a
little pathos. That won't do, sir--that won't do,"--as Francis Ardry
made an attempt to become pathetic,--"that will never pass for
pathos--with tones and gesture of that description you will never redress
the wrongs of your country. Now, sir, observe my gestures, and pay
attention to the tone of my voice, sir."

Thereupon, making use of nearly the same terms which Francis Ardry had
employed, the individual in black uttered several sentences in tones and
with gestures which were intended to express a considerable degree of
pathos, though it is possible that some people would have thought both
the one and the other highly ludicrous. After a pause, Francis
recommenced imitating the tones and the gestures of his monitor in the
most admirable manner. Before he had proceeded far, however, he burst
into a fit of laughter, in which I should, perhaps, have joined, provided
it were ever my wont to laugh. "Ha, ha!" said the other, good
humouredly, "you are laughing at me. Well, well, I merely wished to give
you a hint; but you saw very well what I meant; upon the whole, I think
you improve. But I must now go, having two other pupils to visit before
four."

Then taking from the table a kind of three-cornered hat, and a cane
headed with amber, he shook Francis Ardry by the hand; and, after
glancing at me for a moment, made me a half-bow, attended with a strange
grimace, and departed.

"Who is that gentleman?" said I to Francis Ardry as soon as we were
alone.

"Oh, that is ---" said Frank smiling, "the gentleman who gives me lessons
in elocution."

"And what need have you of elocution?"

"Oh, I merely obey the commands of my guardians," said Francis, "who
insist that I should, with the assistance of ---, {249} qualify myself
for Parliament; for which they do me the honour to suppose that I have
some natural talent. I dare not disobey them, for, at the present
momen