sented himself,
dressed in all the extravagance of French mode. His hair, which was
permitted to curl upon his shoulders, was divided along the middle of the
head; his moustaches were slightly upturned and carefully waxed, and his
small chin-tuft or Henri-quatre most gracefully pointed; he wore three
most happily contrasting coloured waistcoats, and spurs of glittering
brass. His visit was of scarcely five minutes' duration; but was
evidently the opening of a breaching battery by the Bingham family
in all form--the object of which I could at least guess at.

My embarrassments were not destined to end here; for scarcely had I
returned Mr. Bingham's eighth salutation at the head of the staircase,
when another individual presented himself before me. This figure was in
every respect the opposite of my last visitor. Although framed perfectly
upon the late Parisian school of dandyism, his, however, was the "ecole
militaire." Le Capitaine Eugene de Joncourt, for so he introduced
himself, was a portly personage, of about five-and-thirty or forty years
of age, with that mixture of bon hommie and ferocity in his features
which the soldiers of Napoleon's army either affected or possessed
naturally. His features, which were handsome, and the expression of
which was pleasing, were, as it seemed, perverted, by the warlike turn of
a most terrific pair of whiskers and moustaches, from their naturally
good-humoured bent; and the practised frown and quick turn of his dark
eye were evidently only the acquired advantages of his military career;
a handsome mouth, with singularly regular and good teeth, took much away
from the farouche look of the upper part of his face; and contributed,
with the aid of a most pleasing voice, to impress you in his favour; his
dress was a blue braided frock, decorated with the cordon of the legion;
but neither these, nor the clink of his long cavalry spurs, were
necessary to convince you that the man was a soldier; besides that, there
was that mixture of urbanity and aplomb in his manner which showed him to
be perfectly accustomed to the usages of the best society.

"May I beg to know," said he, as he seated himself slowly, "if this card
contains your name and address," handing me at the same moment one of my
visiting cards. I immediately replied in the affirmative.

"You are then in the English service?"

"Yes."

"Then, may I entreat your pardon for the trouble of these questions, and
explain the