tleman announced that he should go
to London, where the whole family had arrived by this time, and should
speedily return to establish them in their renovated mansion.

Detachments of domestics preceded them. Carriages came down by sea, and
were brought over from Baymouth by horses which had previously arrived
under the care of grooms and coachmen. One day the 'Alacrity' coach
brought down on its roof two large and melancholy men, who were dropped
at the Park lodge with their trunks, and who were Messieurs Frederic and
James, metropolitan footmen, who had no objection to the country, and
brought with them state and other suits of the Clavering uniform.

On another day, the mail deposited at the gate a foreign gentleman,
adorned with many ringlets and chains. He made a great riot at the
lodge-gate to the keeper's wife (who, being a West-country woman, did
not understand his English or his Gascon French), because there was no
carriage in waiting to drive him to the house, a mile off, and because
he could not walk entire leagues in his fatigued state and varnished
boots. This was Monsieur Alcide Mirobolant, formerly Chef of his
Highness the Duc de Borodino, of H. Eminence Cardinal Beccafico, and
at present Chef of the bouche of Sir Clavering, Baronet:--Monsieur
Mirobolant's library, pictures, and piano had arrived previously in
charge of the intelligent young Englishman, his aide-de-camp. He was,
moreover, aided by a professed female cook, likewise from London, who
had inferior females under her orders.

He did not dine in the steward's room, but took his nutriment in
solitude in his own apartments, where a female servant was affected to
his private use. It was a grand sight to behold him in his dressing-gown
composing a menu. He always sate down and played the piano for some
time before that. If interrupted, he remonstrated pathetically with
his little maid. Every great artist, he said, had need of solitude to
perfectionate his works.

But we are advancing matters in the fulness of our love and respect for
Monsieur Mirobolant, and bringing him prematurely on the stage.

The Chevalier Strong had a hand in the engagement of all the London
domestics, and, indeed, seemed to be the master of the house. There were
those among them who said he was the house-steward, only he dined with
the family. Howbeit, he knew how to make himself respected, and two of
by no means the least comfortable rooms of the house were assigned to