capable of living and breathing without
a medical man's permission, sunk into a soft pleading tone, of which our
reporter could not catch the sound. He was, as great orators will
sometimes be, "inaudible in the gallery."

Meanwhile, Lady Penelope overwhelmed Clara Mowbray with her caresses. In
what degree her ladyship, at her heart, loved this young person, might
be difficult to ascertain,--probably in the degree in which a child
loves a favourite toy. But Clara was a toy not always to be come by--as
whimsical in her way as her ladyship in her own, only that poor Clara's
singularities were real, and her ladyship's chiefly affected. Without
adopting the harshness of the Doctor's conclusions concerning the
former, she was certainly unequal in her spirits; and her occasional
fits of levity were chequered by very long intervals of sadness. Her
levity also appeared, in the world's eye, greater than it really was;
for she had never been under the restraint of society which was really
good, and entertained an undue contempt for that which she sometimes
mingled with; having unhappily none to teach her the important truth,
that some forms and restraints are to be observed, less in respect to
others than to ourselves. Her dress, her manners, and her ideas, were
therefore very much her own; and though they became her wonderfully,
yet, like Ophelia's garlands, and wild snatches of melody, they were
calculated to excite compassion and melancholy, even while they amused
the observer.

"And why came you not to dinner?--We expected you--your throne was
prepared."

"I had scarce come to tea," said Miss Mowbray, "of my own freewill. But
my brother says your ladyship proposes to come to Shaws-Castle, and he
insisted it was quite right and necessary, to confirm you in so
flattering a purpose, that I should come and say, Pray do, Lady
Penelope; and so now here am I to say, Pray, do come."

"Is an invitation so flattering limited to me alone, my dear
Clara?--Lady Binks will be jealous."

"Bring Lady Binks, if she has the condescension to honour us"--[a bow
was very stiffly exchanged between the ladies]--"bring Mr.
Springblossom--Winterblossom--and all the lions and lionesses--we have
room for the whole collection. My brother, I suppose, will bring his own
particular regiment of bears, which, with the usual assortment of
monkeys seen in all caravans, will complete the menagerie. How you are
to be entertained at Shaws-Castle, is, I than