in which our English princess had been imprisoned, I repaired to the
gardens, and set about a work, which, when completed, will no doubt
have the honor of a place on the line at the Exhibition; and, returning
homewards to breakfast, musing upon the strange fortunes and inhabitants
of the queer, fantastic, melancholy place, behold, I came suddenly upon
a couple of persons, a male and a female; the latter of whom wore a blue
hood or "ugly," and blushed very much on seeing me. The man began to
laugh behind his moustaches, the which cachinnation was checked by an
appealing look from the young lady; and he held out his hand and said,
"How d'ye do, Titmarsh? Been out making some cawickachaws, hay?"

I need not say that the youth before me was the heavy dragoon, and that
the maiden was Miss Fanny Kicklebury. Or need I repeat that, in the
course of my blighted being, I never loved a young gazelle to glad
me with its dark blue eye, but when it came to, &c., the usual
disappointment, was sure to ensue? There is no necessity why I should
allude to my feelings at this most manifest and outrageous case. I gave
a withering glance of scorn at the pair, and, with a stately salutation,
passed on.

Miss Fanny came tripping after me. She held out her little hand with
such a pretty look of deprecation, that I could not but take it; and
she said, "Mr. Titmarsh, if you please, I want to speak to you, if you
please;" and, choking with emotion, I bade her speak on.

"My brother knows all about it, and, highly approves of Captain Hicks,"
she said, with her head hanging down; "and oh, he's very good and kind:
and I know him MUCH better now, than I did when we were on board the
steamer."

I thought how I had mimicked him, and what an ass I had been.

"And you know," she continued, "that you have quite deserted me for the
last ten days for your great acquaintances."

"I have been to play chess with Lord Knightsbridge, who has the gout."

"And to drink tea constantly with that American lady; and you have
written verses in her album; and in Lavinia's album; and as I saw that
you had quite thrown me off, why I--my brother approves of it highly;
and--and Captain Hicks likes you very much, and says you amuse him very
much--indeed he does," says the arch little wretch. And then she added
a postscript, as it were to her letter, which contained, as usual, the
point which she wished to urge:--

"You--won't break it to mamma--will you be so kind? My