on the landing without-his inquiring eye from time to time awaiting our commands.

66

The luxury of the saloon in which we found ourselves was indescribable. Tissues of blue silk (originally woven, we have since ascertained, for the Monarch of Delhi) were suspended from wands of solid silver; the same hue pervaded the walls, hung with choice pictures. Here Venus, when unadorned, adorned the most," was bathing in Helicon's waters :-there, Diana hovered over burning Troy; Edipus and Hermione, from the ramparts, contemplating the agonizing scene. Nor was Junius Brutus, witnessing the ghost of Cæsar, wanting these three being undoubted originals of Michael Angelo. We were sorry that Mr. Pecker (whose reputation as a Patron of Art has received a most gratifying tribute since our arrival) was not with us: but promised ourselves the pleasure of making him familiar with those treasures, on some future day. Tables of solid jasper were spread with virtu of all periods. Dresden lacrymatories vied with the richest West Indian carvings :-rich miniatures by Sir Joshua, with costly volumes bound by Burney. Madame de Maintenon's fan, with her rival, Madame de Pompadour's smellingbottle and between them the works of the brilliant philosophe, Madame Dudevant, whose blindness was so touchingly lamented by Sir Robert Walpole, in the "Strawberry Annals." Not a toy

nor a trinket, in short, was here, which did not tell its tale of the ..nothingness of Beauty, or invite to the abnegation of selfish indulgence. Such a collection, how far more instructive, dearest Mrs. Rustler, than the farraginous assemblages of so-called sanctity, which disfigure, not ornament, mansions benighted by their Papistical sympathies! The undraperied exposures of Pagan Art are less alien to every habit of our juvenile education, less utterly at variance with every prerogative we have been used to hold dear, than the order of decorations it is the interest of Mr. Niblett, and such as he, to advocate. Right glad were we to perceive that Lady Highborough has escaped the epidemical dalliance with Babylon, with regard to which it is written, etc., etc. * * * We were gazing delightedly round, grateful to find that the idolatrous element had not set its seal here, and P, intent upon leaving behind her some of those pencilled tokens of admiration and sympathy which her ardent spirit so eagerly bestrews; when the swinging back of a copious sheet of mirror, which we had conceived led nowhere, revealed a third room, and voices in ani

mated discourse. My tablets were out in an instant, since I was aware by the accent, that the speakers were of no vulgar order. It was well thought of the discourse turning on matters of no common import.

Must you go, Lady Anne?"

My dear, I must; I promised my little girl to come back and see the Bush -Children and her get their dinner together. You had better come with me ;-such hideous little monsters!"

"Love, I can't: I'm expecting Albertinelli every moment; and see him I must about this tiresome concert of mine. You can't think what a nice person he is!-manages everything so admirably, and takes no liberties. I wonder sometimes, how he gets the people to sing at such terms-Policetti for only ten guineas! But then he's her lover, poor fellow :-so interesting!" "Now do come, dear; and can't you leave word with George for Albertinelli to follow you to my house?"

"Would we had such neighbours at Tinglebury!" whispered I to P. With the Bundletons, or any persons who have been in trade, dear Mrs. Rustler, such social interchanges are not possible.

No, my kind creature, I can't-I have to go through this bore of engaging a nursery governess again!"

"Quel malheur ! I thought your Swiss girl was such a treasure.” "So I thought, too, dear; and I am sure I never interfered with her. Georgina hated her; but that was of no consequence. Children always do. I did; and used to cut holes with scissors in my poor victim's frocks. No, love, she turned out consumptive, so I sent her away at once, before she got worse upon my hands. I am expecting two new ones this morning. Sisters; I may have either, or the two together, I dare say, a bargain."

"And do you really see these persons yourself?"

"How can I help it, my dear? I could not trust Lord Highborough, were he at home-and you recollect that wretched business of my last but one, turning out the groom of the cham-bers' wife. But I don't exact much-clean, honest, sober-no followers. We have masters for everything, dear-It's ruinous. What can those sort of girls want with twenty pounds a year, I often wonder-now that they can dress for nothing, and have no appearance to keep up?" What admirable principles of subordination, dearest friend! What simplicity of requisitional demands; and conveyed in what dazzling buoyancy of parlance! Tears rose to my eyes again: "And this," I exclaimed, "is a member of

the depreciated body-one of those whom the Utilitarian Clods of the Valley would flout to extinction. Tastes, how magnificent! Wishes, how true! Kindness to her dependants, how considerate! Anxiety to prevent inquiries devolving upon others, how eager ! And you will hear this lustrous being's name invocated with every expression of contemptuous animosity! I seemed, dearest friend, to listen to my mother tongue-I felt I was in Belgravia: and when P said, I am sure I shall embrace her," I was too much agitated to do more than reply, "We will, both."....

"Well," after all, "resumed Lady Highborough, "I think I will go with you-I'm dying to know the Bush children, if they are only half as dear as Tom Thumb! and George shall hear these gentlewomen their catechism. One needn't keep them, you know. One is committed to nothing, especially now when you may get the best of the class for fifty a year-and who can teach the harp, too."

siasm

The Ladies came out tall, commanding creatures, with pallor that put your Tinglebury friend's milkmaid complexion: and even P 's red rose blossom in her cheeks (so sweetly introduced in Mrs. Ellis's verses, written in Mrs. Pecker's album) to shame. I had intended to make a minute note of their dress; and had turned a fresh leaf of my memorandum book on purpose; but can only generally describe it as singularly spreading in its ulterior portions-my gaze being interrupted by P's enthuwho burst forward, with "Peerless Piety, and Pious Peers," ready to offer, and a fluttering, "Dear Lady Highborough, will you allow this to cement the commencement of an intercourse?" She spoke so low, that we are sure she was not heard nor did the natural terrors of the moment enable us precisely to ascertain which was our hostess. All, indeed, was confusion. The stately pair turned-surveyed us fixedly-started: and, some kind thought arising in both, sympathetically, burst into a peal of laughter, dulcet as pastoral reed-hurrying past us. I was vexed at this abrupt termination of so charming an interview, though I promised myself its resumption at no distant period. The silver chime died in the distance--not before a gay, "A perfect gig, my dear!" had acquainted us that the conveyances our innovators at Tinglebury have chosen to deride as obsolete, still maintain their hold in the conservative districts of Belgravia.

We were not long permitted to indulge dubiety as to the

etiquette of departure, after a reception so full of promise. To the unfeigned ecstasy of P (ah! do you not recognise your artless protegé in the trait?) our travelling companion made his appearance in an elegant domesticity of costume, which convinced us that we were not wrong in ascribing to him no less distinguished an abode. And, making all mature allowances for the susceptibility of my animated companion-he did evince the pleasure of kindred sympathies, at this meeting; accosted us with animated cheerfulness, and though decorum precluded his engaging two parties of our sex to sit-bestowed upon us no small measure of the graces of his intellect. Perceiving our avidity for Belgravian intelligence, he kindly ministered to it; recommended our pursuing the system of making acquaintances we had already so auspiciously inaugurated; called our admiration to the works of art I have already introduced to you-and mentioned others. A statue of our gracious Majesty, in a square devoted to herself, a little beyond the boundaries of the Province, excited his eulogies. It is by Haynes Baily, whose Eve at the Fountain, and My own Blue Bell, Mr. Pecker cites as the most chaste and surprising of modern sculptures. Eluding gracefully P's perhaps too frank curiosity as to his relationship with Lady Highborough, our friend volunteered the information that he was one of the Household.-I curtsied involuntarily to this representative of Majesty. He dwelt much upon the wonders of his own highly favoured district; spoke of our hostess with terms of easy praise; of her sweetness, and persuadability-these how charming, at altitudes where the vulgar would with difficulty respire! On P― inquiring if further tracts would be acceptable, he answered eagerly, "O, as many as you can spare!" and even hinted that Her gracious Majesty, whose amiable receipt of all commodities and curious inventions, finds its prototype in many of the Belgravian mansions, would be gratified by, though she might not solicit, a like attention. How easy, beloved friend, is it to do good!"So simple is our Sovereign," he added, and so indifferent to rank are the inhabitants of this quarter, that, to use his own emphatic phrase, "the Queen is a nobody amongst us!" Attuned, as I was, to surprise before, this, I confess, astonished me. Rare grace and condescension! blessed fruits of charity! The Artists, dear friend, give their pictures to our Sovereign! gratified by their acceptance, though too wisely aware of their own distance, to expect to behold them more. A new book of The

Triumphs of Oriana" is in preparation for her birthday-the words by the aristocratic hostesses of Belgravia--the music by Chalon. We grieve that English talent was not found worthy! But more, it may be, of Royalty, and its pursuits, on some less crowded page! Let us avoid all democratic admixture of the pomp of sovereignty, with the

Homely lines of every day,

as Mrs. Abel Smith says in one of her sadly sweet sonnets. Our new friend apologised on the score of his avocations-ushered us to the portal-and we parted with gay adieux.-Peals of laughter resounded from this edifying abode, as we quitted its precincts.

I should have finished here, but I must append to this too long epistolary communication what I have already mentioned :-the tribute to Mr. Pecker's acknowledged skill in judging of works of art. It is but to-day that he received from an accomplished collectress, whose name modesty forbids us to utter, the distinguished invitation which my thrilling pen copies with proud pleasure. You may diffuse it at Wailford if you will:

*

"Mrs. presents her compliments to her proximate neighbour, Mr. Pecker, and from having derived by bequest, among other tableaux a portrait of extraordinary merit, deemed likely from corresponding name originally marked at back, either to represent, or otherwise to have belonged to, at no very remote period, a family connection of his; but, to be satisfactory to herself, needing confirmation; trusts, under the circumstances, not to seem digressing etiquette unvenially herein-the object being a reciprocal one-in requesting the obliging courtesy of a call at her residence on earliest convenient afternoon, from the hour of three, not being later than that of six, for resolving, as she could hope, its identity; a favour, in ratio of her disadvantage towards him as a total stranger, she would not fail to appreciate, etc. etc."

The Editor is once again obliged to interpose with an explanation. Those who might be misled by the poetical style of Miss Rill, into fancying that the epistle of the "Collectress," printed above, was retouched by that Lady, for the amazement of friends at home, are admonished that the letter is printed from a bonà fide original: the original punctuation observed:-we may add, that it is a Circular; since we happen to know other connoisseurs besides Mr. Pecker of Tinglebury, who have received similar invitations. The incident is too Belgravian to be omitted, but too romantic to pass without authentication.