aining our power in Europe. Something
will happen, before the session is over, in the Mediterranean;" and she
pressed her finger to her lip, and then she added, "The country will
support Lord Roehampton as they supported Pitt, and give him any amount
of taxes that he likes."

In the meantime, the social world had its incidents as well as the
political, and not less interesting. Not one of the most insignificant,
perhaps, was the introduction into society of the Countess of Beaumaris.
Her husband, sacrificing even his hunting, had come up to town at the
meeting of parliament, and received his friends in a noble mansion on
Piccadilly Terrace. All its equipments were sumptuous and refined,
and everything had been arranged under the personal supervision of Mr.
Waldershare. They commenced very quietly; dinners little but
constant, and graceful and finished as a banquet of Watteau. No formal
invitations; men were brought in to dinner from the House of Lords "just
up," or picked up, as it were carelessly, in the House of Commons by
Mr. Waldershare, or were asked by Imogene, at a dozen hours' notice, in
billets of irresistible simplicity. Soon it was whispered about, that
the thing to do was to dine with Beaumaris, and that Lady Beaumaris was
"something too delightful." Prince Florestan frequently dined there;
Waldershare always there, in a state of coruscation; and every man of
fashion in the opposite ranks, especially if they had brains.

Then, in a little time, it was gently hoped that Imogene should call
on their wives and mothers, or their wives and mothers call on her; and
then she received, without any formal invitation, twice a week; and
as there was nothing going on in London, or nothing half so charming,
everybody who was anybody came to Piccadilly Terrace; and so as,
after long observation, a new planet is occasionally discovered by a
philosopher, thus society suddenly and indubitably discovered that there
was at last a Tory house.

Lady Roehampton, duly apprised of affairs by her brother, had called on
Lord and Lady Beaumaris, and had invited them to her house. It was the
first appearance of Imogene in general society, and it was successful.
Her large brown eyes, and long black lashes, her pretty mouth and
dimple, her wondrous hair--which, it was whispered, unfolded, touched
the ground--struck every one, and the dignified simplicity of her
carriage was attractive. Her husband never left her side; while Mr.
Walder