of rank and fashion which you have drawn to my house to-night; I am quite overpowered by my feelings; and all that I can add is, that no pains or expense shall be spared on my part to merit a continuance of your favour." My Lord smiled, or rather grinned horribly a ghastly smile, for he is the ugliest smiler we know; and patting him on the back, as he would have done to his mouse-coloured Arabian, and which same patting, or rubbing down, is quite a legitimate practice, coming into fashion, it being purely Scotch, he assured him of his perfect approbation, and promised to bring him twice as many people to his next party, as there were present on that, which caused so great a sensation. The ladies of the bank presented their duties to the Right Honourable Directress, and were quite emues at being brought into such notice.

Thus continued the winter parties; and our reader will naturally ask, what was the end of them? The answer will not surprise them

a bankruptcy !—There are, nevertheless, a number of party-givers of the self-same stamp; and

subject of acting per alterum might be said :our malades imaginaires, who could not live without Doctor Placebo; our sticks at the bottoms of tables, the honours of which are conducted per alterum; senators who would be mutes if words were not put into their mouths; and high functionaries, whose weighty duties could never be done but by deputy, and whose family and domestic concerns are conducted in the same way. The proxies and substitutes in all the first departments are ad infinitum; but those who officiate at banquets and lay out the money either of ambitious tools or prodigals, have the advantage of being very different from all other substitutes or vicegerents; for they gain all the credit, share all the pleasure, without any responsibility or expense, and are looked up to and adulated for the trouble which they take. Such affairs might fill a volume, but the concerns of the Greenlaw family call us to another chapter.

CHAPTER II.

FAMILY AFFAIRS.-A MORNING CALL.-SCANDAL.

LADY GERTRUDE was arrived, her head full of projects. She had a husband to get knighted, that was certain; he had the address in his pocket, and the matter was concluded in a few days. She had the spring, or rather spring and summer campagne to open; for great folks so

pork, eggs, etcetera,) without, as we have already observed, interlarding with un petit peu de Français, generally accented a pitty pew; nor can we find a red-armed Dolly the maid of all work, but who has had the advantage of accompanying her young mistress to Calais, Boulogne, Gravelines, or Dunkirk, without a mouthful of French to miscall, and to disturb the gravity of her auditors. She is going to air mamzel's shimmy, or to fetch her catchmere; she thanks you with bean oblidgy; and cannot go on an errand without putting on a Frenchified cap and her shawl. How we are improved since we had a bell and a savage to represent la belle Sauvage; a bull and a mouth, for Boulogne mouth, i. e. the entrance or mouth of the harbour; and when even our gentry lived in Marrow-bone, purporting to be the parish or street of St. Marie la bonne! But these are the advantages of the Peace-these the effects of the commonalty aping the quality.

Lady Gertrude no sooner heard her son's

name announced, which one of her liverymen, a foreigner, pronounced Hair-bare, meaning Herbert, (which was enough to make a plain English person's hair stand on end, and to render the name unbearable,) than she exclaimed "Qu'il vienne, mon enfant chéri, mon fils!" Oui Milady, and in a moment behold him arrive and fly to her embrace. "My dearest Herbert, what an age since we met ! truly delighted to see you!" And the reader may divine the rest-how well he looked! had he breakfasted? (at 4 P.M.) certainement non-how many conquests had he made? (a natural question to a soldier, but not in the parishes of St. James's and St. George's, Hanover Square)—she had heard of his flirtation with Lady Lydia, and she hoped that he had got acquainted with all la première noblesse; but whatever was left undone, her introduction and splendid parties would accomplish. The greeting betwixt father and son was short, but sincere on father's part, who, soit dit en passant, was only considered as an affectionate father and an honest