hand up as a screen above his eyes. "Who are you, my man?"

continued be.

"Tom Saunders; your Honour's coxswain, as was, in the Druid," replied my father, with another scrape at the gravel; "taken in moorings at last, your Honour. Hope to see your Honour and your honourable Ladyship quite well."

"I recollect you now, my man," replied Sir Hercules, very stiffly; "and where did you lose your leg?"

"Battle o' the Nile, your Honour; Majesty's ship Oudacious." "How interesting !" observed one of the ladies; "one of Sir Hercules' old men."

"Yes, madam, and one of my best men. Lady Hercules, you must recollect him," said Sir Hercules.

"I should think so, Sir Hercules," replied the lady; "did I not give him my own lady's maid in marriage?"

"Dear me, how excessively interesting!" said another of the party.

Now this was a little event in which Sir Hercules and Lady Hercules stood prominent; it added to their importance for the moment, and therefore they were both pleased. Lady Hercules then said,

"And pray, my good man, how is your

wife?"

“Quite well and hearty, at your Ladyship's sarvice," replied my father; "and, please your Ladyship, these two be our children." "Bless me, how interesting!" exclaimed another lady.

"And remarkably well bred uns," remarked a short gentleman in a fox-hunting coat, examining Virginia through his eye-glass; "coxswain, filly-dam, lady's maid."

"What is your name, child?" said Lady Hercules to Virginia. "Virginia, ma'am," replied my sister with a courtesy.

"You must say 'Lady Hercules,' my dear," said my father, stooping down.

"My name is Virginia, Lady Hercules," replied my sister, courtesying again.

"Indeed! then I suppose you are named after me?"

"Yes, your Ladyship; hope no offence-but we did take the liberty," replied my father.

"And what is yours, boy?"

"Thomas, Lady Hercules," replied I, with a bow and scrape, after my father's receipt for politeness.

"And where is your mother?" said Sir Hercules.

"Mother's at home, Lady Hercules," replied I, with another

scrape.

"How very interesting!" exclaimed one of the party. "Quite an event!" said another. "A delightful rencontre !" cried a third. "How kind of you, Lady Hercules, to give up your own maid! and such handsome children," &c. &c. "It's really quite charming." Lady Hercules was evidently much pleased; and she assumed the patroness.

"Well, little girl, since you have been named after me, out of gratitude, I must see what can be done for you. Tell your mother to come up to me to-morrow at three o'clock, and bring you with her."

Yes, Lady Hercules," replied Virginia, with a courtesy.

"And Saunders, you may as well come up at the same time, and bring your lad with you," added Sir Hercules.

"Yes, your Honour," replied my father, both he and I simultaneously scraping the gravel.

"Wish your Honour Sir Hercules, and your honourable lady, and all the honourable company, a very good morning!" continued my father, taking Virginia and me by the hand to lead us away.

Sir Hercules touched his hat in return, and walked away as stiff as usual: the pensioners who had witnessed the interview between him and my father, concluding that Sir Hercules was a naval officer, now rose and touched their hats to him as he walked with her Ladyship in advance of the party. We joined Anderson, who was sitting down at the other end of the walk, when my father communicated to him what had passed.

As my father conducted Virginia home, she said to him,"Why do you call him Sir, and her Lady?"

"Because they are quality people, child. He is a barrownight, and she is Lady Hercules."

"Are all barrownights and ladies so much bigger than other people are in general?"

"No, child, they don't go by size. I've seen many a Lord who was a very little man."

My mother was very much pleased when we narrated what had happened, as she considered that Lady Hercules might prove a valuable patron to Virginia, whom she did not fail to have ready at the time appointed; and, dressed in our very best, we all walked together to The Sun, at which Sir Hercules and his lady had taken up their quarters. Let it not be supposed that my mother had forgotten the unceremonious manner in which she had been dismissed from the service of Lady Hercules, it was still fresh in the memory of a person so revengeful in her disposition; but she considered that as Lady Hercules had forgotten it, it was her interest to do the same; so, when we were ushered into the room where sat Sir Hercules and her Ladyship, my mother was all smiles, and courtesies, and gratitude for past favours.

There was an old gentleman, with a bald powdered head, dressed in black, standing with his back to the fire, when we entered; he was the only other person in the room beside Sir Hercules and his lady. Lady Hercules first obtained from my mother a short history of what had happened since they had parted; and really, to hear my mother's explanation, it would have been supposed that she and my father had always been the most loving couple in the world.

"Well," said Sir Hercules, " and what do you intend to do with your boy, Saunders ?"

"May it please your Honour, I've been thinking of bringing him up as a channel pilot," replied my father.

"Very good," replied Sir Hercules; "I can see to that; and with my interest at the Trinity Board, the thing is done, sir;" and Sir Hercules walked pompously about the room. “Saunders,” said Sir Hercules, stopping, after he had taken three or four turns up and down, and joining his fingers behind his back, "I thought I perceived some difference in you, when you first addressed me. What has become of your tail, sir?"

"My tail, your Honour?" replied my father, looking as much a delinquent as if he was still on board a man-of-war, and had been