his confusion over Lady Kew's reception, determined to try
Clive in the same way, and he gave Clive at the same time a supercilious
"How de dah," which the other would have liked to drive down his throat.
A constant desire to throttle Mr. Barnes--to beat him on the nose--to
send him flying out of window, was a sentiment with which this singular
young man inspired many persons whom he accosted. A biographer ought to
be impartial, yet I own, in a modified degree, to have partaken of this
sentiment. He looked very much younger than his actual time of life, and
was not of commanding stature; but patronised his equals, nay, let
us say, his betters, so insufferably, that a common wish for his
suppression existed amongst many persons in society.

Clive told me of this little circumstance, and I am sorry to say of his
own subsequent ill behaviour. "We were standing apart from the ladies,"
so Clive narrated, "when Barnes and I had our little passage-of-arms. He
had tried the finger business upon me before, and I had before told him,
either to shake hands or to leave it alone. You know the way in which
the impudent little beggar stands astride, and sticks his little feet
out. I brought my heel well down on his confounded little varnished
toe, and gave it a scrunch which made Mr. Barnes shriek out one of his
loudest oaths."

"D---- clumsy ----!" screamed out Barnes.

Clive said, in a low voice, "I thought you only swore at women, Barnes."

"It is you that say things before women, Clive," cries his cousin,
looking very furious.

Mr. Clive lost all patience. "In what company, Barnes, would you like
me to say, that I think you are a snob? Will you have it on the Parade?
Come out and I will speak to you."

"Barnes can't go out on the Parade," cries Lord Kew, bursting out
laughing: "there's another gentleman there wanting him." And two of the
three young men enjoyed this joke exceedingly. I doubt whether Barnes
Newcome Newcome, Esq., of Newcome, was one of the persons amused.

"What wickedness are you three boys laughing at?" cries Lady Anne,
perfectly innocent and good-natured; "no good, I will be bound. Come
here, Clive." Our young friend, it must be premised, had no sooner
received the thrust of Lady Kew's two fingers on entering, than it had
been intimated to him that his interview with that gracious lady was at
an end. For she had instantly called her daughter to her, with whom her
ladyship fell a-whispering; and then it w