ring Cross and Northumberland House
was so great as to excite the attention of the passengers; for he had
to compose his steps so as to moderate the unequal and rapid pace of
Fenella to the timid and faint progress of his left-hand companion; and
while it would have been needless to address himself to the former, who
could not comprehend him, he dared not speak himself to Alice, for fear
of awakening into frenzy the jealousy, or at least the impatience of
Fenella.

Many passengers looked at them with wonder, and some with smiles; but
Julian remarked that there were two who never lost sight of them, and
to whom his situation, and the demeanour of his companions, seemed to
afford matter of undisguised merriment. These were young men, such as
may be seen in the same precincts in the present day, allowing for the
difference in the fashion of their apparel. They abounded in periwig,
and fluttered with many hundred yards of ribbon, disposed in bow-knots
upon their sleeves, their breeches, and their waistcoats, in the very
extremity of the existing mode. A quantity of lace and embroidery made
their habits rather fine than tasteful. In a word, they were dressed in
that caricature of the fashion, which sometimes denotes a harebrained
man of quality who has a mind to be distinguished as a fop of the first
order, but is much more frequently in the disguise of those who desire
to be esteemed men of rank on account of their dress, having no other
pretension to the distinction.

These two gallants passed Peveril more than once, linked arm in arm,
then sauntered, so as to oblige him to pass them in turn, laughing and
whispering during these manoeuvres--staring broadly at Peveril and his
female companions--and affording them, as they came into contact, none
of those facilities of giving place which are required on such occasions
by the ordinary rules of the pave.

Peveril did not immediately observe their impertinence; but when it
was too gross to escape his notice, his gall began to arise; and, in
addition to all the other embarrassments of his situation, he had to
combat the longing desire which he felt to cudgel handsomely the two
coxcombs who seemed thus determined on insulting him. Patience and
sufferance were indeed strongly imposed on him by circumstances; but at
length it became scarcely possible to observe their dictates any longer.

When, for the third time, Julian found himself obliged, with his
companions, to pass this