he was upon with the two. noble families who headed the room, and the exclusive familiarity in which they indulged him, explained it at once. He had, in fact, accepted the invitation of Lady Grandborough, seconded by Lady Wilhelmina, to come down to help them to, what they called, satisfy the rustics, and faire l'aimable with themselves; and as he had no county influence, this was equally agreeable to the Drelincourts, who rejoiced at meeting one of their own clique.

Hence he was most exceedingly admired by the country beau monde, and though long past thirty, was estimated by all the ladies as not above fiveand-twenty. He was, however, dead to all the inquiries which were made about him, and even the panegyrics upon his appearance, and the exclamations which he everywhere heard of—“ quite the man of fashion!"-"most exceedingly geenteel," et cætera, et cætera.

- When I complimented him upon this, his smile of contempt was amusing; and as I did not come with either the Grandboroughs or the Drelincourts, he wondered, with a tone of fastidiousness, what the devil could have brought me there?

When I told him I was always glad to witness people's happiness in whatever rank or class, and that I saw a great deal of it here, his affected shrug of amazement prompted a laugh which did not

seem to gratify him, but which I could not control. He told me, however, that he had heard from Etheredge in town something of a strange design I had, of making a tour, I did not know where, and with objects I did not know what; and he only hoped I would publish my adventures; which he had also heard from Etheredge had been very successful in regard to country 'Squires, strollers, and other new characters. "I suppose," said he, "you have already slept in a barn, or dined with a gipsy under a hedge. I heard of you too at Oxford, where it was thought your monkish tastes would have induced you to take the cowl, as affording the very epitome of happiness."

I took his raillery in good part, and told him it would do him a great deal of good if he joined my expedition; for I was sorry to think how much promise, in his instance, had evaporated in a round of occupations, on which he was thrown away. I did this to pique him, if I could, into something more active and less monotonous than the life he was leading; and I so far succeeded, that he looked a little serious, and owned to me, as between friends, that he was somewhat tired of the pavé, with all its charms. "They begin,” he said, “like those of a faded beauty, who has outstood her calculations, to want a little furbishing, or at least to

assume some change of character, to be as interesting as they have been.

"In this light," said I, " perhaps the barn or gipsy hedge might answer."

He shook his head, and looking more anxious I thought than ever I had seen him, asked what possible attraction any one person we now saw could show, to induce a man accustomed to proper society to give one hour to their's.

"It is barely sufferable," he said, "supported by our brilliant friends; but without whom, no man of any monde could ever mix in such a scene." When I told him that I had found that almost every character and situation furnished interest to an observer (some, very great interest), and that some had inspired me with even liking and esteem, and bore a comparison with the best subjects in London, he made a face; and the Grandborough party beckoning him to go, he said he really gave me joy of a pursuit which would add so much to my fame as a man of fashion; then giving me his finger, and his arm to Lady Grandborough, who seemed to have appropriated him to herself, he wished me good night; —whispering, however, that probably he would see me in the morning.

SECTION XV.

"The art of the Court

As hard to leave as keep: whose top to climb

Is certain falling; or so slippery

That the fear's as bad."

CYMBELINE.

THE next morning I did not know whether to expect Fawknor or not; but it seems he really wished to renew our conversation of the night before, on the objects and nature of my tour; and though intrenched to the teeth in finery, still a gleam of something like his original mental tastes had now and then come over him, with a sort of tacit reproach, he said, at the idleness of his life. I found, however, that the reproach was at least of a mixed nature; for though he did not confess it, it was easy to see much was on his mind, and even that he felt more straightened in his circumstances than when he first set out. What was ten thousand times worse, he seemed not so firm as he had been in the empire of bon ton. Many of his most leading associates had either abdicated their thrones, of their own accord, for more domestic

occupations and interests, or for politics; or were afraid of being forced, like himself, to resign in favour of younger, more active, or more gifted candidates for the lead. They, therefore, some of them, made long tours abroad, like great actors sometimes, who, fearing they may have tired the town, seek renovation and freshness from absence. Others, feeling themselves really too old to struggle, had been fain to put up with a second rank, and had fairly retired from power.

This of course more or less affected many who had only moved in their orbits, and who, like my friend, having little from their own position or connexions to support them, trembled to think of the change which the loss of their allies might inflict. This Fawknor had too much tact not to see, and he began to be a little uncomfortable from the reflection. He was even bordering upon the horror of being looked upon as a ci-devant jeune homme; the possibility of which, when he commenced his career, never entered his contemplation.

All this I gathered in the rather long interview I had with him. He did not, indeed, in terms reveal it, much less consult me about it. He was even palpably anxious not to allow me, if he could help it, to discover the real melancholy of his position. But vain is the effort to disguise vanity. Under every aspect he could make the case