ense of
pride swelled his heart, and made him almost forget his distrusts and
suspicions. When breakfast was over, Lizzy, passing her arm within her
father's, led him away. She had many things to say to him, and he to
her, so that Beecher and Twining were left alone together.

"Well, Twining," said Annesley, as he lighted a cigar, "tell me
frankly,--don't you think I might have done worse?"

"Impossible to have done better,--impossible!" said Twining. "I don't
speak of her Ladyship's beauty, in which she surpasses all I have ever
seen, but her manner--her courtesy--has a blending of grace and dignity
that would confer honor on the most finished Court in Europe."

"I'm glad you say so, Twining; men quote _you_ as an authority on these
things, and I own frankly I am delighted to have my own judgment so
ratified."

"Her appearance in the world will be such a success as one has not seen
for years!" exclaimed Twining.

"She'll be sharply criticised," said Beecher, puffing his cigar.

"She can well afford it, my Lord."

"What will the women say, Twining? She is _so_ good-looking,--what will
the women say?"

"Where there's no rivalry, there will be no dispraise. She is so
surpassingly beautiful that none will have courage to criticise; and if
they should, where can they detect a fault?"

"I believe you are right, Twining,--I believe you are right," said
Beecher, and his face glowed with pleasure as he spoke. "Where she got
her manners I can't make out," added he, in a whisper.

"Ay, my Lord, these are Nature's own secrets, and she keeps them
closely."

"It is the father--old Grog--is the difficulty," whispered Beecher,
still lower; "what can be done with _him?_"

"Original, certainly; peculiar,--very peculiar,--what fun!" And Twining
in an instant recovered all his wonted manner, and slapped away at his
legs unmercifully.

"I don't exactly see the fun of it,--especially for me," said Beecher,
peevishly.

"After all, a well-known man, my Lord,--public character,--a celebrity,
so to say."

"Confound it!" cried Beecher, angrily, "don't you perceive there lies
the whole annoyance? The fellow is known from one end of England to the
other. You can't enter a club of a rainy day, when men sit round the
fire, without hearing a story of him; you don't get to the third station
on a railroad till some one says, 'Have you heard old Grog's last?'
There's no end to him?"

"Wonderful resources!--astonishing!--great fun!"