Of the three steady sons, Bill only was mar

one day, both were so lean, lathy, and disturbed- himself on board a Baltic trader, which he left at looking. It was not family cares that disquieted Gottenberg, and was never heard of after by the their days. There were no olive-branches to pro- Niblets. vide for; but Mr. Thompson and his spouse had set themselves down in a bare new house at Ken-ried, and lived close by his mother in a quiet sington, to take care of the half lac and study the street in Islington, where old Jack had long ago great world. How they succeeded in the latter located his family. Bob and Tom still called the undertaking was itself a lesson on the prevailing place "home," and came there every evening from power of application. "The Lawrences," as Mr. their business in the City. Between Mrs. Niblet Tibbits called them, when out of his lady's hear-senior and junior there reigned unusual harmony; ing, had information to which the Court Circular and the Niblets one and all lived in old-fashioned could not pretend. They knew to a tittle how the comfort and industry, working hard and regularly Queen and Prince Albert got on. They were on work-days, but celebrating with all their hearts minute in chronicles of the royal nursery. Nothing the appointed seasons of festivity, and always that happened in titled families ever escaped them; ready, particularly Bob and Tom, for an evening's and the amount of fashionable intelligence they amusement. Between the houses of Tibbits and collected would have made the soul of Brummel Niblet there had been an ancient intimacy, not glorious in his exile. Mahomed speaks of spirits only of business but friendship. Tibbits still rewho dance on the outermost wall of Paradise, membered how old Jack had befriended him, when he and, though never admitted further, rejoice in be- was a poor youth striving to make his way. How holding the blessedness within. Mr. and Mrs. he had praised and trusted, and taken him into partThompson Lawrence were similarly situated with nership, when Tibbits had little capital and less regard to the world of fashion. Their social experience. How many years himself and the old abiding-place was on its mystic frontier, beyond man had bought and sold and taken counsel toge which they could never find footing; but the oc- ther for the good of the firm in Fleet-lane; also cupation of their lives was to gossip concerning its what pleasant times the families had, when neither denizens. Lawrence was almost as earnest on the he nor Mrs. Tibbits thought of livery or phaeton. scent as his lady; but he wrote long letters to What familiar tea-drinkings, what Christmas dinIndia, looked to the currying and peppering of his ners there had been among them, and how, when dinner, dozed after it, and read the newspapers Jack got warm and friendly over his glass, he used sometimes; while she was indefatigable on the to make matches between his boys and Tibbits' grand pursuit. Her acquaintance with house- girls. The old man was long gone; but Bob and keepers, ladies'-maids and milliners' girls was Tom had shown themselves strongly disposed to boundless, the back-parlour was never empty of fulfil that family compact. Lucy Tibbits had sunsome of them; and as, next to gathering, Mrs. dry valentines, with rhymes about hearts and darts Thompson Lawrence delighted in retailing her in them, put away in a locked drawer. Cisy had news, she imparted most of it to Mrs. Tibbits. a brooch with brown hair set in it, which she did The awe and admiration with which that honest not wear now, but cried over sometimes, when the woman heard those revealings were causes suffi- girl was alone. Bob and Tom were acknowledged cient for her preferment as a listener. Moreover, admirers, when the Tibbits lived in the next street, knowledge is power; and, through Mrs. Thomp- and Bessy Niblet and her mother used to bring son's erudition in what was done at Lady Tattle- wonderful recipes for scouring silk or making more's and the Countess of Snivelford's, the spouse cherry-pies, and come to help in times of family of the Indian commissary obtained a kind of go- bustle. That was all over, since Mrs. Thompson vernance in the Tibbits' household, for furniture, Lawrence came home from India and the Tibbits dress and friends were alike subject to the appro- removed to Coburg-crescent. Nobody knew preval of Mrs. Thompson Lawrence. cisely how the quarrel began; but at the abovementioned critical period of her history, Mrs. Tibbits discovered that there was a great difference between the education of Bessy Niblet, who took her turn at cooking and scouring with their only servant, old Sally, and that of her own daughters, who practised all the morning and crocheted in the afternoon. This discovery she imparted one confidential evening to a mutual acquaintance, who lost no time in communicating it to Mrs. Niblet; and that lady's observations on the folly of bringing up girls to be of no use in the house or out of it, were in due course conveyed to the ear of Mrs. Tibbits. The mother's pride was touched, and responses were made concerning "vulgar people and drudging dowdies" which being also reported (where is there wanting a good-natured creature for such service?), were answered by sundry remarks on the vanity of putting up above one's station and getting laughed at for one's pains. The junior

On the extreme left of the Tibbits' acquaintance now stood the Niblet family. Old Jack Niblet, the original head of the firm in Fleet-lane, was long dead, but his share of the business still afforded a comfortable provision for his widow and only daughter, though burdened with a yet unclaimed reversion assigned by the old man's will to an absent son. His three eldest boys Jack had brought up to kindred trades: Bill was in the soap-boiling, Bob in the chandling, and Tom in the oil line. They were all sensible, well-doing young men, and rather successful in business for these pushing times; but Harry, the youngest, had been an unmanageable youth, ingenious in all that was useless, and clever in every unprofitable way; he had tried all his brothers' trades in succession, without acquiring any of them, exhausted the patience of three masters, and at length took a wild fancy for seafaring, which he put in practice by shipping

The Baron made an elaborate bow in reply to Tibbits' sputtered declarations that he was glad to see him, which the cheesemonger thought the finest thing of its sort he ever beheld. Mrs. Tibbits drew a long breath, like one relieved: and when her husband slipped away to his hot dinner in the back parlour, she followed him with amazing tales about their visitor. Mrs. Thompson Lawrence had assured her that Hungarian exiles were all the fashion. There never was a party at Lady Tattle

ladies now joined the war. Bessy Niblet, though a good, industrious girl, was somewhat quick of tongue and temper. Mrs. Bill felt herself called upon to defend the honour of the family; and Lucy Tibbits having heard Bob applaud Miss Mercer's singing more than she thought agreeable, voted the Niblets a low set, without one single exception. The men of both houses, like hardworking Englishmen in general, said little, but firmly believed their respective ladies in the right. So coolness and distance came in the place of the old friend-more's without some of them. But the Baron was ship; and, at the time of our story, Mesdames asked to the best houses in London on account of Tibbits and Niblet had not met for a twelvemonth. his wonderful story, which the Lawrences had from Time wears down the rocks, and why not quarrels ? himself, after they got acquainted one day in Hyde The Tibbits and Niblets began in time to miss each Park. Mrs. Tibbits could not recollect all the other. Mrs. Tibbits caught herself thinking of her particulars, but the outline was, that the Baron was kind old neighbour, in every household emer- descended from a line of princes; that he had been gency. Lucy couldn't forget that Bob was a fine the owner of two estates and three castles, which young man, and she had got no new lover. Cisy he lost for his country's sake; that in the war he was had never been quite sure that they were all right hand and glove with Kossuth, and helped to win about the Niblets; but she kept Tom's brooch for seven pitched battles at the head of a regiment of his a use of mourning, and wished they hadn't quar- own tenantry. There was also a romantic tale, of relled. As for Tibbits, he had an occasional shake which Mrs. Tibbits was not in full possession, conhands with the young men, when kind inquiries cerning an Austrian princess, who broke her heart after all at home were usually exchanged. Bob and and died for love of Baron Emmerich; but she was Tom looked as if they had something more to say explicitly informed on the amount of diamonds and at those times. They knew how often their mother other valuables lost and left behind in his flight wondered if the Tibbits had forgotten them all; and from Hungary. The heart of Tibbits warmed over Bessy said she never thought they would have turned his pudding with true English sympathy for the out such a nasty, proud set. Tibbits heard nothing luckless patriot. He declared himself obliged to of that; but the leaven of fashion had not entered the Lawrences for bringing the Baron to his house, into the cheesemonger's soul, and at his wife's and his attentions to the stranger were henceforth genteel parties he pined for the Niblets. This doubled. On Tibbits' part this was disinterested feeling came strong upon him on the approach of kindness. He and Baron Emmerich had scarcely a day especially devoted to festivity by every well- a word, not to say thought, in common, though his instructed and wedded Briton, namely, the anni- host once or twice thought he heard the Hungarian versary of his marriage. In that character, the exile speak wonderfully good English, and in a 28th February had been celebrated with more than tone strangely familiar to his ears. The Baron's ordinary demonstrations for twenty-five years in language was generally a marvellous mixture of all the Tibbits' household. It was now but three European dialects, sounding as if sent from the pit weeks off, and Tibbits had made up his mind, come of his stomach, somehow through his nose. For what would, to invite the Niblets; but he saw the Mrs. Tibbits it was enough that her new acquaintdifficulties of his position, and puzzled himself how ance was a baron and the fashion, to make her to break ground all the way home to dinner. Tib-think her house magnified and made honourable bits was an hour and a half beyond his usual time that evening. There had been extra accounts to look over, and the managing partner never left things in an unsatisfactory state; but the sounds of the piano and the radiance of wax candles made him sensible that something grand was going forward in his own drawing-room; and in the haste of curiosity Tibbits entered, to find Lucy seated on the music-stool as proud as a peacock, with a tall man, in an extraordinary profusion of hair and beard, stationed behind her, while Mrs. Thompson Lawrence occupied the sofa in a sublime attitude: the Indian commissary by her side looked round him on everybody, as much as to say, See what I have done for you! and Cisy at the table helped Mrs. Tibbits, who seemed overpowered by the weight of her responsibilities. Tibbits himself felt a kind of all-overishness when Mrs. Thompson, in her grandest manner, introduced him to the Baron Emmerich Von Zabbatoriki, an exiled patriot from Hungary, such being the style and title of the gentleman who stood behind Lucy.

VOL. XIX.-NO. CCXXV.

by his visits; and to do the noble exile justice, he availed himself of his new friends, for notwithstanding the choice society to which he was admissible, morning, noon, and eve were sure to find him in either the Tibbits or the Lawrence drawingroom. How he contrived to divide his time so equally between the two houses was a problem to be explained only by omnibus-men. Lucy said that his conversation improved her French and German amazingly; and Mrs. Thompson Lawrence never got such news of titled people. Perhaps Baron Emmerich could not well help it, considering his utter idleness; but by and by the fact was, he got involved in a strong flirtation with both ladies. Of course it was carried on most vigorously with each apart; but when they chanced to meet in the same room, there was a display of generalship worthy the winner of seven battles. The balance of power cannot be long maintained. Mrs. Thompson Lawrence had the better house, Lucy Tibbits the larger share of attractions and the fewer years; but both felt there was a baron in the case, and things were

2 M

coming to a sort of open rivalry. Lucy began to find out how old and plain Mrs. Thompson was; and Mrs. Thompson made known to most of her acquaintances that she did not like the airs of that girl. Still neither dame was winning, nor was that of any consequence, for the matter involved no heart; the Baron's affair being as regular and harmless a flirtation as ever grew up, gourd-like, under the combined influence of idleness and vanity.

Meantime the grand anniversary had come a fortnight nearer, but Tibbits hadn't found time or courage to declare his designs concerning the Niblets. Indeed, he was considerably occupied in wondering why a strapping young man like the Hungarian did not set about doing something for his bread, though Mrs. Tibbits assured him a baron could do nothing of the kind; and Mrs. Thompson Lawrence gave him up from the day she heard it as irreclaimably vulgar. Tibbits had been admonished never to speak of such a thing to anybody one Sunday forenoon, before his spouse and the girls went forth to church, leaving him within doors, rather out of sorts, we regret to say, from the previous night's supper of eow-heel and oysters, when the Baron, unaware of their absence, was seen coming to lunch with the family, and the heart of the cheesemonger arose and rejoiced amid astonishment, for he was followed by no other than Tom Niblet. Tom had always been the most enterprising of his house. Perhaps he wished to learn what the Baron meant by coming there so often-perhaps to see if there were yet a remnant of the old faith among the Tibbits. But the previous day had furnished Tom with a noble apology, for it brought a letter from an emigrant uncle long settled in Australia, with a kind message in it to Mr. Tibbits. There was great shaking of hands between them, and sundry inquiries on Tom's part for Miss Cecilia in particular.

"Well," continued the lady, on gentility intent. "I have been thinking there are so many people we ought to invite. There are the Lawrences and the Greens, and—”

66

"Certainly, my dear," interrupted Tibbits, in sudden anticipation of her wishes, we will have them all to dinner, and the Hungarian Baron." All the following week, Mrs. Tibbits and her girls were busy with preparations for the fete. The upturning inflicted on every Englishman's house at such times of trial is a subject on which no well-constituted mind cares to enlarge; suffice it to say, therefore, that the flower of their acquaintances were duly invited, Mrs. Thompson Lawrence appointed dictator pro tempore, and during the seven days she seldom left her post. Tibbits displayed extraordinary prudence, by keeping, as well as possible, out of doors under her administration, though his foreman wondered what took him so often to Islington. The great evening at length arrived, and brought no apologies; all the expected had mustered in the drawCisy is well and will be glad to see you, Tom, ing-room except Baron Emmerich. Mrs. Lawrence I'm sure; and so will Lucy and Missis" said Tibbits; was there in the glory of an Indian head-dress, but here his tongue was arrested by the terrible enlarging on his extreme ton, and the tales of high discomfiture which seemed to have fastened on the life he had told her, by way of a complete set Baron. There was an alarmed look about him, down for Lucy. Cisy, in her new silk, was thinkand his hands were rising, as if to rectify some-ing of times when the Niblets used to be there; thing about his face, every second. Tibbits was gathering his breath to introduce the noble exile, when the boy in livery stepped in with a whisper, that old Mr. Clerkson, their next neighbour, had sent for a loan of the Times.

The master of that mansion kept the newspapers in his private custody, from a cherished idea of binding them up in rare volumes for his descendants; and having sent the Times quietly in to old Mr. Clerkson, though he thought better Sunday's reading might be found, Tibbits returned to the drawing-room, where he left his visitors. The door stood almost ajar, and there was a remarkable conversation in progress between the exiled patriot and Tom Niblet.

"You won't tell, Tom."

"Indeed will I, you scandalous fellow! to disgrace us all, and impose on a friend's family!"

What Tibbits saw to make him thus far an eaves-dropper, the worthy man never revealed;

while Mrs. Tibbits trembled under her turban lest something might be spoiled in the kitchen, and wondered what kept the Baron so late.

"He is coming, my dear," said Mr. Tibbits. who had been looking out on the wintry twilight; "I see him with the three friends he was to bring."

"Three friends!" said Mrs. Tibbits, as she thought of her dinner-table. "Who can they be?" "My dear, they are all exiles," replied Tibbits. "And patriots?" said Mrs. Tibbits.

"Every man!" responded her husband, as three individuals, clothed in West of England broadcloth and good white linen, but with a length of black hair and beard wonderful to behold, strutted into the room, while Baron Emmerich, in a similar dress, brought up the rear.

"Welcome, noble exiles!" cried Tibbits, leaping from his chair with unexpected enthusiasm. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to present to you, first-the Baron Soapinski; he inherited the

NORMAN HAMILTON. (Continued from page 494.)

"Then, sir!—you see, Mr. Transfer, I am keeping my temper-I never dismissed any one from this bank before, sir, without consulting the direc-was to be done? tors; but, sir, this madness, or something worse, is intolerable, and there is no responsibility that I will shrink from. Give Mr. Transfer your keys, and remain here: don't dare to stir from this spot until I summon a meeting of the board."