gathering up all her energies,
she said, "It is dreadful hot too, I think;" and with this she made a
curtsey.

"Stifling, split me!" added his Excellency. "What do you say, madam, to
a rest in an arbour, and a drink of something cool?"

"Sir!" said the lady, drawing back.

"Oh, a drink--a drink by all means," exclaimed Mr. Billings, who was
troubled with a perpetual thirst. "Come, mo--, Mrs. Jones, I mean.
you're fond of a glass of cold punch, you know; and the rum here is
prime, I can tell you."

The lady in the mask consented with some difficulty to the proposal of
Mr. Billings, and was led by the two gentlemen into an arbour, where she
was seated between them; and some wax-candles being lighted, punch was
brought.

She drank one or two glasses very eagerly, and so did her two
companions; although it was evident to see, from the flushed looks of
both of them, that they had little need of any such stimulus. The Count,
in the midst of his champagne, it must be said, had been amazingly
stricken and scandalised by the appearance of such a youth as Billings
in a public place with a lady under his arm. He was, the reader will
therefore understand, in the moral stage of liquor; and when he issued
out, it was not merely with the intention of examining Mr. Billings's
female companion, but of administering to him some sound correction for
venturing, at his early period of life, to form any such acquaintances.
On joining Billings, his Excellency's first step was naturally to
examine the lady. After they had been sitting for a while over their
punch, he bethought him of his original purpose, and began to address a
number of moral remarks to his son.

We have already given some specimens of Monsieur de Galgenstein's sober
conversation; and it is hardly necessary to trouble the reader with any
further reports of his speeches. They were intolerably stupid and dull;
as egotistical as his morning lecture had been, and a hundred times
more rambling and prosy. If Cat had been in the possession of her sober
senses, she would have seen in five minutes that her ancient lover was a
ninny, and have left him with scorn; but she was under the charm of old
recollections, and the sound of that silly voice was to her magical.
As for Mr. Billings, he allowed his Excellency to continue his prattle;
only frowning, yawning, cursing occasionally, but drinking continually.

So the Count descanted at length upon the enormity of young Billings's