see Fanny--Fanny Bolton; is she here?"

Mrs. Bolton had a sudden suspicion, from the splendour of Blanche's
appearance, that it must be a play-actor, or something worse.

"What do you want with Fanny, pray?" she asked.

"I am Lady Clavering's daughter--you have heard of Sir Francis
Clavering? And I wish very much indeed to see Fanny Bolton."

"Pray step in, miss.--Betsy-Jane, where's Fanny?"

Betsy-Jane said Fanny had gone into No. 3 staircase, on which Mrs.
Bolton said she was probably in Strong's rooms, and bade the child go
and see if she was there.

"In Captain Strong's rooms! oh, let us go to Captain Strong's rooms,"
cried out Miss Blanche. "I know him very well. You dearest little girl,
show us the way to Captain Strong!" cried out Miss Blanche, for the
floor reeked with the recent scrubbing, and the goddess did not like the
smell of brown-soap.

And as they passed up the stairs, a gentleman by the name of Costigan,
who happened to be swaggering about the court, and gave a very knowing
look with his "oi" under Blanche's bonnet, remarked to himself, "That's
a devilish foine gyurll, bedad, goan up to Sthrong and Altamont: they're
always having foine gyurlls up their stairs."

"Hallo--hwhat's that?" he presently said, looking up at the windows:
from which some piercing shrieks issued.

At the sound of the voice of a distressed female the intrepid Cos rushed
up the stairs as fast as his old legs would carry him, being nearly
overthrown by Strong's servant, who was descending the stair. Cos found
the outer door of Strong's chambers opened, and began to thunder at
the knocker. After many and fierce knocks, the inner door was partially
unclosed, and Strong's head appeared.

"It's oi, me boy. Hwhat's that noise, Sthrong?" asked Costigan.

"Go to the d----!" was the only answer, and the door was shut on Cos's
venerable red nose: and he went downstairs muttering threats at the
indignity offered to him, and vowing that he would have satisfaction.
In the meanwhile the reader, more lucky than Captain Costigan, will
have the privilege of being made acquainted with the secret which was
withheld from that officer.

It has been said of how generous a disposition Mr. Altamont was, and
when he was well supplied with funds how liberally he spent them. Of
a hospitable turn, he had no greater pleasure than drinking in company
with other people; so that there was no man more welcome at Greenwich
and Richmond than the Emis