tingue; he has beautiful eyes."

"The poor fellow is mad for your beaux yeux, I believe," Strong said.
"He is a very good cook, but he is not quite right in the head."

"What did you say to him in the unknown tongue?" asked Miss Blanche.

"He is a Gascon, and comes from the borders of Spain," Strong answered.
"I told him he would lose his place if he walked with you."

"Poor Monsieur Mirobolant!" said Blanche.

"Did you see the look he gave Pendennis?"--Strong asked, enjoying the
idea of the mischief--"I think he would like to run little Pen through
with one of his spits."

"He is an odious, conceited, clumsy creature, that Mr. Pen," said
Blanche.

"Broadfoot looked as if he would like to kill him too, so did Pynsent,"
Strong said. "What ice will you have--water ice or cream ice?"

"Water ice. Who is that odd man staring at me--he is decore too."

"That is my friend Colonel Altamont, a very queer character, in the
service of the Nawaub of Lucknow. Hallo! what's that noise? I'll be back
in an instant," said the Chevalier, and sprang out of the room to the
ballroom, where a scuffle and a noise of high voices was heard.

The refreshment-room, in which Miss Amory now found herself, was a room
set apart for the purposes of supper, which Mr. Rincer the landlord had
provided for those who chose to partake, at the rate of five shillings
per head. Also, refreshments of a superior class were here ready for the
ladies and gentlemen of the county families who came to the ball; but
the commoner sort of persons were kept out of the room by a waiter
who stood at the portal, and who said that was a select room for Lady
Clavering and Lady Rockminster's parties, and not to be opened to
the public till supper-time, which was not to be until past midnight.
Pynsent, who danced with his constituents' daughters, took them and
their mammas in for their refreshment there. Strong, who was manager and
master of the revels wherever he went, had of course the entree--and the
only person who was now occupying the room was the gentleman with the
black wig and the orders in his button--hole; the officer in the service
of his Highness the Nawaub of Lucknow.

This gentleman had established himself very early in the evening in this
apartment, where, saying he was confoundedly thirsty, he called for a
bottle of champagne. At this order the waiter instantly supposed that he
had to do with a grandee, and the Colonel sate down and began to eat his