rld is an absurd one," said he.

"Why so, Mr. Hunsden?"

"I wonder you should ask: you are yourself a strong proof of the
absurdity I allude to."

I was determined he should explain himself of his own accord, without my
pressing him so to do--so I resumed my silence.

"Is it your intention to become a tradesman?" he inquired presently.

"It was my serious intention three months ago."

"Humph! the more fool you--you look like a tradesman! What a practical
business-like face you have!"

"My face is as the Lord made it, Mr. Hunsden."

"The Lord never made either your face or head for X---- What good can
your bumps of ideality, comparison, self-esteem, conscientiousness,
do you here? But if you like Bigben Close, stay there; it's your own
affair, not mine."

"Perhaps I have no choice."

"Well, I care nought about it--it will make little difference to me what
you do or where you go; but I'm cool now--I want to dance again; and
I see such a fine girl sitting in the corner of the sofa there by
her mamma; see if I don't get her for a partner in a jiffy! There's
Waddy--Sam Waddy making up to her; won't I cut him out?"

And Mr. Hunsden strode away. I watched him through the open
folding-doors; he outstripped Waddy, applied for the hand of the
fine girl, and led her off triumphant. She was a tall, well-made,
full-formed, dashingly-dressed young woman, much in the style of Mrs. E.
Crimsworth; Hunsden whirled her through the waltz with spirit; he kept
at her side during the remainder of the evening, and I read in her
animated and gratified countenance that he succeeded in making himself
perfectly agreeable. The mamma too (a stout person in a turban--Mrs.
Lupton by name) looked well pleased; prophetic visions probably
flattered her inward eye. The Hunsdens were of an old stem; and scornful
as Yorke (such was my late interlocutor's name) professed to be of
the advantages of birth, in his secret heart he well knew and fully
appreciated the distinction his ancient, if not high lineage conferred
on him in a mushroom-place like X----, concerning whose inhabitants
it was proverbially said, that not one in a thousand knew his own
grandfather. Moreover the Hunsdens, once rich, were still independent;
and report affirmed that Yorke bade fair, by his success in business,
to restore to pristine prosperity the partially decayed fortunes of his
house. These circumstances considered, Mrs. Lupton's broad face might
well wear a smile o