sary of the Nawaub of Lucknow.

Now it chanced that on the day when Blanche and Mrs. Bonner ascended the
staircase to Strong's room in Shepherd's Inn, the Colonel had invited
Miss Delaval of the ------ Theatre Royal, and her mother, Mrs. Hodge, to
a little party down the river, and it had been agreed that they were
to meet at Chambers, and thence walk down to a port in the neighbouring
Strand to take water. So that when Mrs. Bonner and Mes Larmes came to
the door, where Grady, Altamont's servant, was standing, the domestic
said, "Walk in, ladies," with the utmost affability, and led them into
the room, which was arranged as if they had been expected there. Indeed,
two bouquets of flowers, bought at Covent Garden that morning, and
instances of the tender gallantry of Altamont, were awaiting his guests
upon the table. Blanche smelt at the bouquet, and put her pretty little
dainty nose into it, and tripped about the room, and looked behind the
curtains, and at the books and prints, and at the plan of Clavering
estate hanging up on the wall; and had asked the servant for Captain
Strong, and had almost forgotten his existence and the errand about
which she had come, namely, to visit Fanny Bolton; so pleased was she
with the new adventure, and the odd, strange, delightful, droll little
idea of being in a bachelor's chambers in a queer old place in the city!

Grady meanwhile, with a pair of ample varnished boots, had disappeared
into his master's room. Blanche had hardly the leisure to remark how big
the boots were, and how unlike Mr. Strong's.

"The women's come," said Grady, helping his master to the boots.

"Did you ask 'em if they would take a glass of anything?" asked
Altamont.

Grady came out--"He says, will you take anything to drink?" the domestic
asked of them; at which Blanche, amused with the artless question, broke
out into a pretty little laugh, and asked of Mrs. Bonner, "Shall we take
anything to drink?"

"Well, you may take it or lave it," said Mr. Grady, who thought his
offer slighted, and did not like the contemptuous manners of the
new-comers, and so left them.

"Will we take anything to drink?" Blanche asked again: and again began
to laugh.

"Grady," bawled out a voice from the chamber within:--a voice that made
Mrs. Bonner start.

Grady did not answer: his song was heard from afar off, from the
kitchen, his upper room, where Grady was singing at his work.

"Grady, my coat!" again roared the voic