thing
more; 't is a trifle, but it is unpleasant. Besides, my wife was Master
Clinton's foster-mother, and she can't hear a word about him, without
running on into a long rigmarole of what he did as a baby, and so
forth. I like people to be chatty, sir, but not garrulous; I can't bear
garrulity, at least in a female. But, suppose, sir, we defer our story
till after supper? A glass of wine or warm punch makes talk glide more
easily; besides, sir, I want something to comfort me when I talk about
Master Clinton. Poor gentleman, he was so comely, so handsome!"

"Did you think so?" said Clarence, turning towards the fire.

"Think so!" ejaculated the steward, almost angrily; and forthwith he
launched out into an encomium on the perfections, personal, moral, and
mental, of Master Clinton which lasted till the gentle Mary entered to
lay the cloth. This reminded the old steward of the glass of wine which
was so efficacious in making talk glide easily; and, going to the
buffet before mentioned, he drew forth two bottles, both of port.
Having carefully and warily decanted both, he changed the subject of his
praise; and, assuring Clarence that the wine he was about to taste
was at least as old as Master Clinton, having been purchased in joyous
celebration of the young gentleman's birthday, he whiled away the
minutes with a glowing eulogy on its generous qualities, till Mary
entered with the supper.

Clarence, with an appetite sharpened, despite his romance, by a long
fast, did ample justice to the fare; and the old steward, warming into
familiarity with the virtues of the far-famed port, chatted and laughed
in a strain half simple and half shrewd.

The fire being stirred up to a free blaze, the hearth swept, and all
the tokens of supper, save and except the kingly bottle and its subject
glasses, being removed, the steward and his guest drew closer to each
other, and the former began his story.

CHAPTER LXX.

The actors are at hand, and by their show
You shall know all that you are like to know.
Midsummer-Night's Dream.

"You know, probably, sir, that my late lord was twice married; by his
first wife he had three children, only one of whom, the youngest, though
now the present earl, survived the first period of infancy. When Master
Francis, as we always called him, in spite of his accession to the
title of viscount, was about six years old, my lady died, and a year
afterwards my lord married agai