whims and fancies of a volatile muse,
or anticipating patronage for the future wanderings of a restless
and inquisitive humorist. But my bookseller, a steady, persevering,
inflexible sort of personage, whose habits of business are as rigid as a
citizen of the last century, or a puritan of the Cromwell commonwealth,
has lately suffered the marble muscles of his frigid countenance to
unbend with a sort of mechanical ~193~~inclination to an expression
of--what shall I say--lib--lib--liberality; no, no, that will never
do for a bookseller--graciousness--ay, that's a better phrase for the
purpose; more characteristic of his manner, and more congenial to my
own feelings. Well, to be plain then, whenever a young author can pass
through an interview with the headman of the firm without hearing any
thing in the shape of melancholy musings, serious disappointments,
large numbers on hand, doubtful speculation, and such like pleasant
innuendoes, he may rest satisfied that his book is selling well, and
his publisher realizing a fair proportion of profit for his adventurous
spirit. I am just now enjoying that pleasant gratification, the
reflection of having added to my own comforts without having detracted
from the happiness of others. In short, my scheme improves with every
fresh essay, and my friend Bob Transit, who has just joined me in
a bottle of iced claret at Long's, has been for some minutes busily
engaged in booking mine host and his exhibits; while I, under pretence
of writing a letter, have been penning this introduction to a chapter on
fashion and its follies, annexing thereunto a few notes of characters,
that may serve to illustrate that resort of all that is exquisite and
superlative in the annals of high ton. "Evening, and in High Spirits,"
--a scene worthy of the acknowledged talent of the artist, and full of
fearful and instructive narrative for the pen of the English Spy. Seated
snugly in one corner of Long's new and splendid coffee-room, we had
resolved on our entering to depart early; but the society we had
the good fortune to be afterwards associated with might have tempted
stronger heads than those of either Bob Transit the artist, or Bernard
Blackmantle the moralist.

[Illustration: page193]

"Waiter, bring another bottle of iced claret, and tell Long to book
it to the king's lieutenant." "By the honour of my ancestry," said the
Honourable Lillyman Lionise, "but I am devilishly cut already."

~194~~"You do w