Lady Rossville blushed and hesitated, then, in a faint voice, said, "Anybody, mama.'

"But Lady Rossville is not to ramble all over the country with anybody or everybody," said her mother, sarcastically; "I will have no clandestine meetings, remember."

"Clandestine !" repeated the Countess, "no; with my own guests and relations, why should I have recourse to clandestine measures? My intention was to walk with Colonel Delmour; but since it is your desire that I should accompany you, I will do so ;" and she rose to ring the bell and order the carriage, when the movement was arrested by hearing the sound of wheels crisping the gravel, as they rolled slowly round to the grand entrance. "Ah! there are my aunts!" exclaimed Lady Rossville. "I wrote yesterday to invite them, but I scarcely looked for them so soon. I must fly to welcome them ;" and in an instant she was on the outer steps of the entrance, ready to assist her aunt Mary herself.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

These Indian wives are loving fools, and may do well to keep company with the Arrias and Portias of old Rome.

DRYDEN.

BUT the carriage door being opened, there stepped out Major Waddell, having upon his back a vast military cloak, with all its various appliances of tags, and jags, and flags, and waving capes, and scarlet linings, and shining brooch, &c. &c. &c. The Major having placed himself on one side of the carriage door, black Cæsar, in no less gorgeous array, stationed himself at the other, and then, after a little feminine delay, there came forth Mrs Major Waddell in all her bravery. A rich and voluminous satin mantle enveloped her person; a rare and costly lace veil streamed like a meteor to the wind; muff, bonnet, feathers, boots, reticule-all were in perfect keeping; and Mrs Major Waddell, from the crown of the head to the

sole of the foot, might have stood for the frontispiece of La Belle Assemblée.

Placing a hand upon each of her supporters, she descended the steps of the carriage with much deliberate dignity, and then, as if oppressed with the weight of her own magnificence, she gave her muff to Cæsar, while the Major gallantly seized her reticule, and assisted her to ascend the flight of steps, where stood the Countess, provoked at herself for her precipitation in having so unwarily rushed out to receive this unexpected importation.

"Well, cousin, this is really kind!" exclaimed Mrs Major; "but you see what it is to be without a lord and master. Here is mine would be in perfect agonies if I were to stand for a single moment outside the door without my bonnet."

"You ought to tell Lady Rossville, at the same time, who it was tied two double neckcloths round my throat yesterday, when"

But Lady Rossville could not listen to the Major's playful recrimination, and she interrupted him by saying, with a somewhat stately air,

"I imagined it was my aunt Mary who had arrived, and, knowing how helpless she is, I has

tened out to see that she was properly attended to. -But my friends are all welcome," added she, with her usual sweetness of manner, and she led to the saloon.

the

way

Mrs Waddell was a prize to Lady Betty and Miss Pratt, who were both fond of seeing finedressed people; and Mrs Waddell had so much to look at, and her things were all so new, and so rich, and so fashionable; and India muslin, and India shawls, and India chains, and lace, and trinkets, were heaped upon her with such an unsparing hand, that it was quite a feast to sit and scan each article individually. Miss Pratt even went farther, and anticipated, at the least, half a piece of sprigged India muslin to herself, the same as Mrs Waddell's gown, which she forthwith began to admire with all her might. Moreover, she intended to ingratiate herself so far as to obtain a footing in the house, for, as she reasoned with herself, there was nobody knew good-living better than your nabobs; they were commonly squeamish and bilious, and needed a nice bit; and, at any rate, one might depend upon genuine Mullagatawney and Madeira at their tables, and, to a used stomach, these were great restoratives, for a fort

night or so, now and then. Miss Pratt, thereupon, began to do the honours with even more than her usual activity. She made a point of taking off Mrs Waddell's mantle with her own hands, commenting upon its beauty as she did so; she insisted upon her using a footstool, and having two additional squab-cushions to lean upon, and pressed a cup of chocolate in a manner not to be withstood. She was obliged to give back a little, however, when Mrs St Clair came sweeping in, with her usual authoritative air, and welcomed her relations with a patronizing grandeur of deportment, that sunk Miss Pratt's nimble civilities into nothing.

Mrs St Clair was vulgar enough to feel gratified by the appearance made by her niece. Her equipage was handsome-her dress fashionable and expensive-she herself very pretty; the Major's rank was respectable-his connections were good -and though they were both fools, yet a fool in satin was a very different thing from a fool in sackcloth, and was treated accordingly. She therefore began, “ I observe your carriage has not been put up, Isabella; surely Major Waddell and you have

66