openings and shuttings, Fanny pronounced herself a proficient, and the ladies retired; Captain Cavendish Lorimer standing with the door in his hand bowing unutterable things.

..

Come, Captain Lorimer," said the Rector, as the gallant officer concluded his duty-"let us draw round the fire and make ourselves snug, not exactly after the fashion of the worthy head of my college, who used to say-Come, boys, now then let's be jolly, and no talking.' I am extremely glad to see you, Sir; Gurney put up that claret-and then we'll have a log on the fire, and a fresh bottle on the table."

"Charming daughter yours, Mr. Wells," said Lorimer, filling his glass.

"Oh, you are very kind," said Wells, filling his; "they are good girls-our friend here can answer for one-the elder sister of Fanny, whom you see to-night."

the

"I can indeed," said I.

"Let's drink her health, Captain Lorimer," said the Rector, "and young heir of Ashmead."

This, I confess was carrying the joke a little too far. The idea of drinking the health of my poor infant as heir to a place, out of which, in all probability, we should all be turned in the course of next week, appeared absurd in the highest degree; and more particularly absurd, because if what I felt certain to occur, did happen, our ejection and abandonment of the place, would-if he chanced to recollect the present toast-go a considerable way towards exposing my flighty father-in-law's improvident mode of talking to our young cavalier.

"Ashmead," said Captain Lorimer, that is the extremely pretty place on the rise of the hill, just going out of the town?"

"Yes," said I.

"I was quite delighted with it," said the Captain; "in summer it must be perfectly beautiful."

"I shall be too happy if you will do me the honour of coming to look at it," said I-the same sickening feeling of doubt checking the earnestness of my invitation.

"I say, Gurney," said the Rector, "let us send and ask Sniggs to come over, he will be delightful; and he really is an agreeable companion, and a dab at billiards."

I made no objection-of course the Captain made none-and a message was sent to Sniggs requesting the pleasure of his company, if he were disengaged.

If? as if under the circumstances the reconciliatory character of the bidding, the knowledge that Captain Cavendish Lorimer dined at the Rectory, a fact of which he was sure to be informed, the opportunity of making his way, and though last, not least, the certainty of an agreeable evening, there could possibly exist the slightest doubt as to the answer-it was, in fact, a command, and accordingly was promptly cbeyed; so that before the then circulating bottle was empty, Sniggs made a fourth round the fire, and the party seemed well disposed to remain for a certain time where they were.

Wells, however, who loved snugness and conviviality, never lost sight of his great end. Comfortable as we were, I in a moment saw that "one bottle more" would close the performances in the dining-room, at least for that session. He saw that Fan had made an effect on Captain Cavendish Lorimer, and that Captain Cavendish Lorimer had in a very

short time gone a long way towards superseding his gallant predecessor; so, when ordering the next bottle of claret he announced it to be the last, adding with a nudge to his guest

"We will go to the ladies after this-but it is a custom in this house, Captain Lorimer, to have a snug re-union a little later in the evening, and that is my reason for dining early; coffee-tea-chasse-a game at billiards-a rubber at whist—a little music or whatever is going on -and then a little bit of snug supper-cold or hot, as the case may be; eat or not as you like; sociability is the thing; I learned it as a boy from my excellent father-all cosey-shut out the world-no servants-no fussand a small taste of what we used in my boyish days to call mixture'— not such as my friend Sniggs would prescribe-but a little hot, strong, and sweet-just every one after his own fancy, and a bit of quiet chat-what d'ye think, Captain ?"

"It seems a most admirable arrangement," said the Captain, " and I do assure you, my dear Sir, you will find me one of the most accommodating of human beings whenever you make suggestions so exceedingly agreeable."

I looked at my father-in-law, and the new comer, and could not help recollecting, although I certainly did not regret, the brandy-and-water which I drank in the very same room on that night which sealed my earthly destiny with my beloved Harriet.

Wells, who was in high spirits, and anxious to render himself, his house, and everything that was his, agreeable to the splendid acquisition he had made, took the lead, and went a-head of Sniggs, who, however much. pleased with the olive branch which the Rector had held out in the shape of an invitation, still evidently felt that kind of awkwardness and shyness which hang over a man who has, to say the best of it, played a rather equivocal part. Wells had told us all his favourite stories, new and entertaining in the highest degree to the new arrival; and by him received with great delight. In short, I saw that my father-in-law had planted his first hit with great effect, and that Captain Cavendish Lorimer was, to use an expression which the late Tom Falwasser would have adopted with regard to linnets, finches, sparrows, and such small deer, "limed;" and it must be owned that this was the "limæ labor" in which Wells did mightily rejoice.

Time flew; but Mrs. Wells, who left the management of such matters as she knew were in hand at this present juncture, entirely in charge of the Rector, never ventured to send any message of summons for coffee or tea; nor was it till Wells thought the moment had arrived at which he ought to repair to the drawing-room, that he rang the bell and inquired if coffee were ready? The simple affirmative monosyllable settled the business, and after a very slight delay we proceeded to do what is called "joining the ladies."

"Oh," cried Fanny, as Captain Cavendish Lorimer entered the room, "I never saw such loves of drawings, Captain Lorimer, really they are perfectly beautiful.”

"They are like the places they represent," said the Captain.

"And," said Fanny, giving him back his ring with the key in it, which she had kept cuddled up in her hand till it was quite hot," here is your dear beautiful little ring."

"It is very convenient," said Captain Cavendish Lorimer, “it lies in so small a compass.'

And then Captain Cavendish Lorimer took coffee, sipped it, and put the cup down gently upon a small mosaic table and drank no more; and then Wells looked at his wife, and made a family signal that the coffee was evidently ill-made, because Captain Cavendish Lorimer could not finish it; and then my dear mother-in-law was just on the point of going into a discussion on the art of coffee-making, and the reason why it could not be made good if the coffee-pot were not one thing, or the biggin not another thing, and so on, but a sudden check, in the way of a sharp contraction of brow on the part of her spouse, stopped that— and Captain Cavendish Lorimer slyly stealing away from the abandoned cup, sat himself on a sofa beside Fanny, and drank his chasse of Curacoa as if he had regularly qualified for it.

Sniggs and I strolled into the billiard-room, which, as I have already remarked, opened into the drawing-room, and began knocking the balls about. The Captain, attracted by the sound, left Fanny's side and joined us.

Pshaw," said Wells, "that silly fellow Sniggs is so fond of billiards-dear me why not have waited? Captain Lorimer, do you take

tea ?"

"None, thank you," said Captain Cavendish Lorimer, "I am all for one game at billiards: I haven't played a game these ten months."

And so Sniggs, as champion, was put forth to compete with the stranger.

"Fanny, dear," said Wells, "go and mark; make yourself useful." Fanny hesitatingly, but I believe "nothing loth," proceeded to the marker's place, to which her father had consigned her, in order that she might at once evince a due degree of interest in the success of Captain Cavendish Lorimer, and exhibit the graces of her pretty figure, and the delicacy of her very white hand in the performance of a duty not in the abstract altogether feminine in its character, but with which, knowing whom I had to deal with, I dare not interfere.

The game proceeded rapidly-Sniggs went on manfully and scored a few, but all in vain; Captain Cavendish Lorimer stretched himself outscrewed-twisted-and did everything that chalk and genius combined could possibly achieve,

"And soon all the cannons
Were Major Mac Shannons."

In fact, off the balls when he once got them, did Captain Cavendish Lorimer win the game.

"I have no chance," said Sniggs,

66 none in the least."

"Nobody else can have any," said Wells; " for you beat everybody here so, come Fan, let us have a little music."

:

I saw Captain Cavendish Lorimer at this suggestion look rather disconcerted, and the doubting hesitation of Fanny did not, as I thought, meet with quite so much persuasion as might be expected. For the information of those who know the regular course of proceeding adopted by country Misses in such a case, it is of no use writing down an elaborate account of the screwing up or down of the creaking music-stool, the rumpling over a hundred songs as if to look out, off-hand, for something to sing, the said girl having made up her mind to sing no other than the one at which she has been thumping and screaming all the morning; humming and ha'aing during the pretended search, and talking of a cold, and declaring that she can't-really-and a thousand other little essays of

rustic affectation, which I saw affected the Captain not exactly as my father-in-law could have wished. However, at last, Fanny would sing a duet if Captain Cavendish Lorimer would take a part. "Oh! too happy," was the answer, and out they came with the beautiful English, "Oh! Nanny wilt thou gang with me!" a bit of sweet melody which will win the heart whenever it is heard; although, perhaps, in twenty years from this time it may never be heard at all.

Fanny sang her part well; the Captain's second was perfect; the expression he threw into the words thrilled through the poor girl's heart. I saw it, and I did not wonder, for I had never heard such amateur singing in my life. Sniggs was in raptures, and poor dear Mrs. Wells, who was far behind her spouse in worldliness, with all a mother's feeling, and wholly regardless of the object of the Captain's invitation, could not help saying to me, Well, I do wish dear Bessy was here!"

Sniggs after this very good-naturedly played an air, with variations, on the flute, and met with well-merited praise. Captain Cavendish Lorimer suggested to him some other subject, which he did not exactly recollect. Captain Cavendish Lorimer took up the instrument, and in explaining to our medical man what he meant, played the air he had in vain endeavoured to recal to his memory, in a tone and style so perfectly beautiful, that Fanny sat entranced as she watched him, although, it must be admitted, that the handsomest countenance that ever was formed suffers most marvellously by the twist of the eyes and the screw of the mouth, which seem to be essential to the ejaculation of sweet sounds in such a performance.

However, the impression was that another Crichton had come to Blissfold, and we wondered and worshipped, and everything went sweetly well, until a quotation made by Captain Cavendish Lorimer gave affairs a turn infinitely more delightful to Wells, and, which I confess, startled me. The occasion was this:

"I remember," said Captain Cavendish Lorimer, " that air once haunted me. I heard it sung by an extremely charming girl, now dead; but I declare there was something so fascinating in it to me, that I fell desperately in love with her before she had finished it."

"What!" said Fanny, archly, but as I believe innocently, "is there really such a thing as love at first sight?"

"This case," said Captain Cavendish Lorimer, was one of love at first hearing; but you don't doubt, Miss Wells, the possibility of the other. Don't you know what Bruyere says upon that subject? Love,' says he, seizes on us suddenly without giving warning, and our disposition or weakness favours the surprise: one glance, one look from the fair, fixes and determines us. Friendship, on the contrary, is a long time in forming; it is of slow growth, through many trials and months of familiarity. How much wit, good-nature, indulgencies! how many good offices and civilities are required among friends to accomplish, in some years, what a lovely face or a fair hand does in a

minute!"

Fanny looked foolish-Wells was pleased, and Captain Cavendish. Lorimer showed his white teeth most complacently. Mrs. Wells looked at me, as much to say, Well, that's pretty plain ;" and Sniggs, from a dark corner of the room, was reconnoitring the Captain with his glass.

Oct.-VOL. LIV. NO, CCXIV.

M

The time had now arrived when the supper was announced, so called by the "Butler," but to which Wells wished never to give a specific name. The moment Mrs. Wells whispered the soft intention to Captain Cavendish Lorimer, he appeared quite delighted; again offered her his arm, and again led her to the room which we seemed scarcely to have quitted. I again took Fanny.

"Isn't he delightful?" whispered she.

"Rather better than Merman," said I.

"Merman!" said she; and that was all she said; but the tone and manner settled it.

"Isn't he capital ?" said Sniggs, who brought up the rear. "Capital, indeed," said I.

And on we walked and there I saw the fac-simile of the never-to-beforgotten table-everything nice and snug-grilled fowl-broiled bones -oysters-potted things of sorts-pickles and other condiments, and the huge set of case bottles, all as usual; and again Wells was agreeable, the Captain delighted, Sniggs in better spirits, Fanny happy, her mother gay and cheerful, and everything couleur de rose.

Having despatched the edible part of the banquet, in came the huge reservoir of hot water, tumblers, sugar, lemons, and every device conducive to innocent conviviality, when the slightest possible hitch in our merriment occurred.

"What shall I give you, Captain Lorimer?" said Wells. "What is in those bottles ?" asked the Captain.

"That," said Wells, "is cherry brandy."

"Oh!" said the Captain, bowing somewhat reverentially to the bottle, "that is rather beyond me. I suppose, Mr. Sniggs (addressing the unhappy apothecary who sat next him), you don't recommend cherry brandy by way of a cure to your patients?"

"No, no," said Sniggs, falteringly, "certainly not."

And a dead silence followed. What Captain Cavendish Lorimer could have thought of the effect his innocent and playful question produced I do not presume to surmise; but it effectually damped poor Sniggs, who, with the proverbial appropriativeness of small people, fancied the allusion personal to himself, and could not divest himself of the idea that the calamity which had befallen gunpowder Tom had formed a subject of conversation before he arrived, and that in all probability he had been invited on purpose to be affronted. This littleness in little minds, which I have before noticed, and which is so well illustrated by Scrub in the "Beaux Stratagem," he could not conquer, and, consequently, rolled himself up in his shell, and said nothing.

To Wells this unsociability was no matter of regret, as it gave him an opportunity of rattling away in his best style; and, when I saw the smoking kettle arrive, and the vast display for the "Spirit-mingling," I said to myself, " now is my respectable connexion in his glory."

Soon after this, and when Captain Cavendish Lorimer, who to all the softer and more polished attributes of an agreeable companion, appeared to me to add a turn for conviviality, which in another twenty years, perhaps, may be considered wholly incompatible with grace and elegance, had filled his glass, the sound of wheels announced the arrival of the carriage, bringing home Bessy, and which was to carry me home. Fanny heard it as well as I, and I never saw anxiety and perturbation more strongly marked on a countenance than in her's the moment it