--I can scarcely say, whether
on his heart, or his stomach, and sighed bitterly!

"How long," said I, "does it want to dinner?" My question restored the
garcon to himself.

"Two, hours, Monsieur, two hours," and twirling his serviette with an
air of exceeding importance, off went my melancholy acquaintance to
compliment new customers, and complain of his digestion.

After I had arranged myself and my whiskers--two very distinct
affairs--yawned three times, and drank two bottles of soda water, I
strolled into the town. As I was sauntering along leisurely enough, I
heard my name pronounced behind me. I turned, and saw Sir Willoughby
Townshend, an old baronet of an antediluvian age--a fossil witness of
the wonders of England, before the deluge of French manners swept away
ancient customs, and created, out of the wrecks of what had been, a new
order of things, and a new race of mankind.

"Ah! my dear Mr. Pelham, how are you? and the worthy Lady Frances, your
mother, and your excellent father, all well?--I'm delighted to hear
it. Russelton," continued Sir Willoughby, turning to a middle-aged man,
whose arm he held, "you remember Pelham--true Whig--great friend of
Sheridan's?--let me introduce his son to you. Mr. Russelton, Mr. Pelham;
Mr. Pelham, Mr. Russelton."

At the name of the person thus introduced to me, a thousand
recollections crowded upon my mind; the contemporary and rival of
Napoleon--the autocrat of the great world of fashion and cravats--the
mighty genius before whom aristocracy had been humbled and ton
abashed--at whose nod the haughtiest noblesse of Europe had quailed--who
had introduced, by a single example, starch into neckcloths, and had
fed the pampered appetite of his boot-tops on champagne--whose coat and
whose friend were cut with an equal grace--and whose name was connected
with every triumph that the world's great virtue of audacity could
achieve--the illustrious, the immortal Russelton, stood before me. I
recognised in him a congenial, though a superior spirit, and I bowed
with a profundity of veneration, with which no other human being has
ever inspired me.

Mr. Russelton seemed pleased with my evident respect, and returned my
salutation with a mock dignity which enchanted me. He offered me his
disengaged arm; I took it with transport, and we all three proceeded up
the street.

"So," said Sir Willoughby--"so, Russelton, you like your quarters here;
plenty of sport among the English, I shou