some for anything exclusive, but she might answer for a ball-you might ask her to that, on the strength of her diamond necklace; it helps to dress a room."

This was the first sentence Lady Clancare had uttered aloud since her introduction at the castle; and its oddity, contrasted to her naïve air and timid look, had its due effect.

"Oh! put her down, by all means, Rosbrin," cried Lord Frederick, laughing. "Down with the diamond beetle, with a N. B. the necklace to be included in the invitation."

"And who is this, my dear Miss Crawley? You write such a very pretty precise cramped hand-oh! Mr. and Mrs. Wiggins of Fort Wiggins.-That sounds bad," added Lady Dunore, shaking her head.

"However it may sound, Madam," said Miss Crawley, a little piqued,

and resolved not to be worsted by Lady Clancare, to whose talents she now believed herself to be purposely opposed in the arena of contest by Lady Dunore. "However it may sound, Mr. Wiggins holds a distinguished office of trust under government; and Mrs. Wiggins is supposed to have more titles at her parties than any one, except Lady Kilgobbin."

"I wish somebody would kill Lady Kilgobbin," said Lady Dunore, "for I am sick of her name. I suppose if these Wiggins people are government folk, we must have them. I wish particularly to distinguish the friends and supporters of the present ministry. But I hope your Mrs. Wiggins is not a quiz, Miss Crawley. Do you know her, Lady Clancare?"

"I saw her in Dublin, Madam, at a few assemblies."

"And what is she like? Now do

throw her off for us, á trait de plume. Now pray what is she like?”

"Like-like a scarlet flamingo, lean and lank, all legs and neck, in an eternal red velvet gown."

"I'll have nothing to do with your flamingo, my dear Miss Crawley. The eternal red gown would destroy me in two nights. I cut the flamingo and the velvet gown, positively, legs, neck,

and all."

"No, no," interrupted Lord Frederick, "the flamingo must go in with the beetle. Only conceive; you will stand here like your mother Eve, surrounded by all the birds of the air and beasts of the field.-Rosbrin, down with the flamingo, as a pendant for the beetle they are charming; and here is,' he added, looking over Lady Dunore's shoulder, "here is Mrs. Randal Royston-delicious name! and the three

"There were originally seven Miss Flambroughs, with seven China oranges," said Lady Clancare, with kindling spirits, and now evidently piquée au jeu, but Mrs. Randal has married, or rather lunched off four."

"Lunched off! Good God, how good!" said Lady Dunore, laughing; "but how lunched off, my dear Lady Clancare?"

"Why, when maternal speculation, with balls, dinners, and suppers, wholly failed, Mrs. Royston advertised sandwiches to morning saunterers, and got rid of her Westphalia hams and her marriageable daughters together."

Everybody laughed. Miss Crawley made an effort to speak, but was overpowered by the loud shrill voice of Lady Dunore.

"Here, read on, Lord Frederick: do you read: go on. This is too amusing." "Here is," said Lord Frederick,

"General and MRS. GENERAL Jen

kins."

"But not the general Mrs. Jenkins," said Lady Clancare, whose spirits apparently grew with what they fed on, and who gradually came more forward on the scene, with increasing confidence. "Not the general Mrs. Jenkins: on the contrary, she is the exclusive Mrs. Jenkins, one who discriminates by the indices of the Red Book, estimates qualities by the nobs on coronets, and ranges all worth and talent under the privilege of walking at a coronation: for the rest, she is fussy, fidgetty, and fretful, but useful in getting up balls, to extract names from a porter's book; and might herself pass the muster-roll of gentility unnoticed, but for her idears, winders, Mariars, Mirandars, and all the whole race of r's in the Cockney vocabulary of Bow-bell."

"Now, Lady Dunore," interrupted