et used in his manner. "Can you persuade yourself
to mind your own household concerns, and leave George Frederick Augustus
Bubbleton to manage his own matters as he deems best?"

Here he turned short round towards me, and throwing up his eyebrows to
their full height, he touched his forehead knowingly with the tip of his
forefinger, and uttered the words,--

"You understand! Poor thing!" concluding the pantomime with a deep sigh
from the bottom of his chest, while he added something in a low whisper
about "a fall from an elephant when she was a child!"

"Mr. Burke, will you listen to me?" said the lady, with an energy
of voice and manner there was no gainsaying--"listen to me for five
minutes; and probably, short as the time is, I may be able to put you in
possession of a few plain facts concerning our position, and if you have
the inclination and the power to serve us, you may then know how best it
can be done."

Bubbleton made me a sign to gratify her desire of loquaciousness, while
with a most expressive shrug he intimated that I should probably hear a
very incoherent statement. This done, he lighted his meerschaum, wrapped
his ragged _robe de chambre_ around him, and lay down full length on
the sofa, with the air of a man who had fortified himself to undergo any
sacrifices that might be demanded at his hands; taking care the while to
assume his position in such a manner that he could exchange glances with
me without his being observed by his sister.

"We came over, Mr. Burke, only a few months before the war broke out,
and like the rest of our countrymen and women were made _detenus_. This
was bad enough; but my wise brother made it far worse, for instead of
giving his name, with his real rank and position, he would call himself
a lieutenant-general, affect to have immense wealth and great political
influence. The consequence was, when others were exchanged and sent
home, his name not being discoverable in any English list, was passed
over; while his assumed fortune involved us in every expense and
extravagance, and his mock importance made us the object of the secret
police, who never ceased to watch and spy after us."

"Capital! excellent! by Jove!" cried Bubbleton, as he rolled forth a
long curl of blue smoke from the angle of his mouth; "she 's admirable!"

"I ought to have told you before," said the lady, not paying the least
attention to his interruption, "that he was obliged to sell out of
the Forty-fi