here is your eye-glass? Here's Trevannion's
shadow--was there ever such a Paris! Good gracious! as the ladies say,
what a frightful bonnet! Isn't that a love of a silk, Louis? Now,
Hamilton, did you ever see such a guy?"

Hamilton was annoyed at these remarks, made by no means in a low tone,
and, in his eagerness to change the conversation and get further from
Frank, he unfortunately ran against a lady who was getting out of a
carriage just drawn up in front of a large linen-draper's shop, much
to the indignation of a young gentleman who attended her.

Hamilton begged pardon, with a crimson face; and, as the lady kindly
assured him she was not hurt, Louis recognized in her his quondam
friend, Mrs. Paget, and darted forward to claim her acquaintance.

[Illustration: The meeting with Mrs. Paget.]

"What, Louis! my little Master Louis!" exclaimed the lady;
"I did not expect to see you. Where have you come from?"

"I am at school, ma'am, at Dr. Wilkinson's, and I had leave to come
out with Hamilton this afternoon. This is Hamilton, ma'am--Hamilton,
this is Mrs. Paget."

"Our rencontre, Mr. Hamilton," said the lady, "has been most fortunate;
for without this contretemps I should have been quite ignorant of Master
Louis' being so near--you must come and see me, dear. Mr. Hamilton, I
must take him home with me this afternoon."

"It is impossible, ma'am," said Hamilton, bluntly; "I am answerable
for him, and he must go back with me."

"Can you be so inexorable?" said Mrs. Paget. "Will you come, too, and
Mr. Francis Digby--I beg your pardon, Mr. Frank, I did not see you."

"I beg yours, ma'am," replied the affable Frank, with a most engaging
bow; "for I was so taken up with the tempting display on the green this
afternoon, that I only became aware this moment of my approximation to
yourself."

"The shops are very gay, certainly; but I should have thought that
you young gentlemen would not have cared much for the display. Now,
a tailor's shop would have been much more in your taste."

"Indeed, ma'am, we came out with the express purpose of buying a silk
for the Lady Louisa."

"I wonder any lady should commission you to buy any thing for her."

"Oh!" replied Frank, "I am renowned for my taste; and Hamilton is
equally well qualified. Can you recommend us a good milliner, ma'am?"

"I am going to look at some bonnets," said the lady. "But, Mr. Frank, I
half suspect you are quizzing. What Lady Louisa are you speaking o