I moved over to him.

"A good day to you, sir," I said, extending my hand.

When he recognized me, his face broke into a beaming smile.

"Why, sir," he cried, "I am very glad to see you, sir. Perchance, like
me, you have come here for an hour's quiet musing on fashionable
folly."

"That's it, sir," said I. "You've hit it exactly."

I have said that he was a bashful man, but it seemed that his timidity
was likely to show itself only in the presence of other great
philosophers and scientists. At any rate, he now rattled on like a
little engine, surveying the people keenly and discoursing upon their
faults.

"There's the old Marquis of Stubblington," observed my friend. "He
beats his wife with an ebony stick. 'Tis said she always carries a
little bottle of liniment in the pocket of her skirt. Poor thing, her
only pleasure in life is to talk scandal; but this she does on such a
heroic scale that it occupies her time completely. There is young Lord
Gram walking again with that soap-boiler and candle-maker. 'Tis
disgraceful! The poor devil lends Gram money, and Gram repays him by
allowing him to be seen in his company. Gram gambles away the money,
but I don't know what the soap-boiler does with his distinguished
honours. However, you can see that the poor wretch is delighted with
his bargain. There are the three Banellic girls, the most
ill-tempered, ugly cats in England. But each will have a large
marriage portion, so they have no fears, I warrant me. I wonder the
elder has the effrontery to show her face here so soon if it is true
that the waiting-woman died of her injuries. Little Wax is talking to
them. He needs one of those marriage portions. Aye, he needs all
three, what with his very boot-maker almost inclined to be insolent to
him. I see that foreign count is talking to the Honourable Mrs.
Trasky. He is no more nor less than a gambler by trade, and they say
he came here from Paris because he was caught cheating there, and was
kicked and caned with such intense publicity that he was forced to
leave in the dead of night. However, he found many young birds here
eager to be plucked and devoured. 'Tis little they care, so long as
they may play till dawn. Did you hear about Lady Prefent? She went
after her son to the Count's rooms at night. In her younger days she
lived rather a gay life herself, 'tis rumoured, and so she was not to
be taken by her son's lies as to where he spent his evenings and his
money. Ha, I se