colate, or cold wild-fowl, fruit, and wine? They must
be treated, so as to show them where they are, since here they are."

"Unquestionably, madam," said Empson; "but I have just at this
instant forgot the French for chocolate, hot bread, coffee, game, and
drinkables."

"It is odd," said the lady; "and I have forgot my French and Italian at
the same moment. But it signifies little--I will order the things to be
brought, and they will remember the names of them themselves."

Empson laughed loudly at this jest, and pawned his soul that the
cold sirloin which entered immediately after, was the best emblem of
roast-beef all the world over. Plentiful refreshments were offered to
all the party, of which both Fenella and Peveril partook.

In the meanwhile, the flageolet-player drew closer to the side of the
lady of the mansion--their intimacy was cemented, and their spirits set
afloat, by a glass of liqueur, which gave them additional confidence
in discussing the characters, as well of the superior attendants of
the Court, as of the inferior rank, to which they themselves might be
supposed to belong.

The lady, indeed, during this conversation, frequently exerted her
complete and absolute superiority over Master Empson; in which that
musical gentleman humbly acquiesced whenever the circumstance was
recalled to his attention, whether in the way of blunt contradiction,
sarcastic insinuation, downright assumption of higher importance, or
in any of the other various modes by which such superiority is usually
asserted and maintained. But the lady's obvious love of scandal was
the lure which very soon brought her again down from the dignified part
which for a moment she assumed, and placed her once more on a gossiping
level with her companion.

Their conversation was too trivial, and too much allied to petty Court
intrigues, with which he was totally unacquainted, to be in the least
interesting to Julian. As it continued for more than an hour, he
soon ceased to pay the least attention to a discourse consisting of
nicknames, patchwork, and innuendo; and employed himself in reflecting
on his own complicated affairs, and the probable issue of his
approaching audience with the King, which had been brought about by so
singular an agent, and by means so unexpected. He often looked to his
guide, Fenella; and observed that she was, for the greater part of
the time, drowned in deep and abstracted meditation. But three or four
times--a