in infancy when he was abandoned by his unnatural parents. The
little fellow yonder with a military air, and no want of self-conceit,
is a field-officer of the Bath volunteers, Adjutant Captain O'Donnel, a
descendant from the mighty King Bryan Baroch, and, as we say at Eton,
no _small beer man_, I assure you." "Who is that gigantic fellow just
entering the rooms'?" said Heartly. "That is Long Heavisides," replied
Eglantine, "whom Handsome Jack and two or three more of the Bath wits
have christened, in derision, Mr. Light-sides, a right pleasant fellow,
quite equal in intellect and good-humour to the altitude of his person,
which, I am told, measures full six feet six." "Gentlemen," said the
facetious Blackstrap, "here comes an old lady who has paid dearly for
a bit of the Brown, lately the relict of the late Admiral M'Dougal, and
now fresh at seventy the blooming wife of a young spark who has
just attained the years of discretion, at least, as far as regards
~315~~pecuniary affairs; for before leading the old lady into church,
she very handsomely settled three thousand per annum upon her Adonis, as
some little compensation to his feelings, for the rude jests and jeers
he was doomed to bear with from his boon companions." "Eyes right,
lads," said Eglantine; "the tall stout gentleman in a blue surtout and
white trowsers is General B---------."

"Pshaw! never mind his name," said Heartly; "what are his
peculiarities?" "Why--imprimis, he has a lovely young female commander
in chief by his side--is a great reader with a very little memory. A
very good story is told of him, that I fear might be applied with equal
justice to many other great readers; namely, that some wags having at
different times altered the title-page, and pasted together various
leaves of a popular Scotch novel, they thus successfully imposed upon
the General the task of reading the same matter three times over--by
this means creating in his mind an impression, not very far from
the truth, that all the works of the Great Unknown bore a very close
similitude to each other; an opinion which the General is said to
maintain very strenuously unto this hour. Of all the characters in the
busy scene of life which can excite a pleasurable sensation in the
close observer of men and manners, is your gay ancient, whether male
or female; the sprightly Evergreens of society, whose buoyant spirits
outlive the fiery course of youth, while their playful leafage buds
forth