Then followed a scene of recrimination, such as was the usual consequence of the failure of any of the plans of this intriguing pair.

"And, Mrs. Falconer," concluded the commissioner, "I augur as ill of your present scheme for Georgiana as I did of the last. You will find that all your dinners and concerts will be just as much thrown away upon the two Clays as your b.a.l.l.s and plays were upon Count Altenberg. And this is the way, ma'am, you go on plunging me deeper and deeper in debt," said the commissioner, walking about the room much disturbed, "If any thing was to go wrong with Lord Oldborough, what would become of us!"

"My dear, that is a very unseasonable apprehension; for Lord Oldborough, as I hear on all sides, is firmer in power now than he ever was--of that, you know, you were but yesterday giving me a.s.surance and proof.

His favour, you know, is so high, that all who were leagued against him in that combination he detected, were, in consequence of his lordship's letter, instantly dismissed from office: his colleagues are now of his choosing--the cabinet, I understand, completely his own friends. What more security can you desire?"

"You don't understand me, Mrs. Falconer: I am not thinking of the security of Lord Oldborough's power--of that, after all I have seen, I can have no doubt; but I am not so sure of--"

"_The continuance of my own favour_," he was going to say, but it was painful to him to utter the words, and he had a superst.i.tious dread, common to courtiers, of speaking of their decline of favour, Besides, he knew that reproaches for want of address in managing Lord Oldborough's humour would immediately follow from Mrs. Falconer, if he gave any hint of this kind; and on his address the commissioner piqued himself, not without reason. Abruptly changing his tone, and taking that air of authority which every now and then he thought fit to a.s.sume, he said, "Mrs. Falconer, there's one thing I won't allow--I won't allow Georgiana and you to make a fool of young Petcalf."

"By no means, my love; but if he makes a fool of himself, you know?"

"Mrs. Falconer, you recollect the transaction about the draught."

"For Zara's dress?"

"Yes, ma'am. The condition you made then in my name with Georgiana I hold her to, and I expect that she be prepared to be Mrs. Petcalf within the year."

"I told her so, my dear, and she acquiesces--she submits--she is ready to obey--if nothing better offers."

"_If_--Ay, there it is!--All the time I know you are looking to the Clays; and if they fail, somebody else will start up, whom you will think a better match than Petcalf, and all these people are to be _feted_, and so you will go on, wasting my money and your own time.

Petcalf will run restive at last, you will lose him, and I shall have Georgiana left upon my hands after all."

"No danger, my dear. My principle is the most satisfactory and secure imaginable. To have a number of tickets in the wheel--then, if one comes up a blank, still you have a chance of a prize in the next. Only have patience, Mr. Falconer."

"Patience! my dear: how can a man have patience, when he has seen the same thing going on for years? And I have said the same thing to you over and over a hundred times, Mrs. Falconer."

"A hundred times at least, I grant, and that, perhaps, is enough to try my patience you'll allow, and yet, you see how reasonable I am. I have only to repeat what is incontrovertible, that when a girl has been brought up, and has lived in a certain line, you must push her in that line, for she will not do in any other. You must be sensible that no mere country gentleman would ever think of Georgiana--we must push her in the line for which she is fit--the fashionable line."

"Push! Bless my soul, ma'am! you have been pushing one or other of those girls ever since they were in their teens, but your pushing signifies nothing. The men, don't you see, back as fast as the women advance?"

"Coa.r.s.e!--Too coa.r.s.e an observation for you, commissioner!" said Mrs.

Falconer, with admirable temper; "but when men are angry they will say more than they think."

"Ma'am, I don't say half as much as I think--ever."

"Indeed!--That is a candid confession, for which I owe you credit, at all events."

"It's a foolish game--it's a foolish game--it's a losing game,"

continued the commissioner; "and you will play it till we are ruined."

"Not a losing game if it be played with temper and spirit. Many throw up the game like cowards, when, if they had but had courage to double the bet, they would have made their fortune."

"Pshaw! Pshaw!" said the commissioner: "Can you double your girls'

beauty? can you double their fortune?"

"Fashion stands in the place both of beauty and fortune, Mr. Falconer; and fashion, my girls, I hope you will allow, enjoy."

"Enjoy! What signifies that? Fashion, you told me, was to win Count Altenberg--has it won him? Are we one bit the better for the expense we were at in all those entertainments?"

"All that, or most of it--at least the popularity-ball--must be set down to Lord Oldborough's account; and that is your affair, commissioner."

"And the play, and the play-house, and the dresses! Was Zara's dress my affair? Did I not tell you, you were wasting your time upon that man?"

"No waste, nothing has been wasted, my dear commissioner; believe me, even in point of economy we could not have laid out money better; for at a trifling expense we have obtained for Georgiana the credit of having refused Count Altenberg. Lady Kew and Lady Trant have spread the report.

You know it is not my business to speak--and now the Count is gone, who can contradict it with any propriety?--The thing is universally believed. Every body is talking of it, and the consequence is, Georgiana is more in fashion now than ever she was. There's a proposal I had for her this morning," said Mrs. Falconer, throwing a letter carelessly before the commissioner.

"A proposal! That is something worth attending to," said the commissioner, putting on his spectacles.

"No, nothing worth our attention," said Mrs. Falconer, "only eighteen hundred a year, which, you know, Georgiana could not possibly live upon."

"Better than nothing, surely," said the commissioner; "let me see."

"Not better than Petcalf, not within a thousand a year so good, putting Asia Minor out of the question. So, you know, I could not hesitate an instant."

"But I hope your answer was very civil. People are not aware what dangerous enemies they make on these occasions," said Mr. Falconer: "I hope your answer was very polite."

"Oh! the pink of courtesy," said Mrs. Falconer. "I lamented that my daughter's fortune was so small as to put it out of her power, &c., and I added a great deal about _merit_, and the _honour done our family_, and so on. But I wonder the man had the a.s.surance to propose for Georgiana, when he had nothing better to say for himself."

"Petcalf, to be sure, if the general dies, is a thousand a year better.

I believe you are right there," said Mr. Falconer; and with an air of calculating consideration, he took up a pen.

"But what are you about, commissioner? going to write on that letter, as if it were waste paper!" said Mrs. Falconer, starting up, and taking it hastily from him: "I must have it for Lady Trant, Lady Kew, and some more of our intimate friends, that they may be able to say they have seen the proposal; for mothers and daughters too, in these days, are so apt to boast, that it is quite necessary to have some written doc.u.ment to produce, and there's no going beyond _that_."

"Certainly--quite necessary. And what written doc.u.ment," said the commissioner, smiling, "have you to produce in the case of Count Altenberg?"

"Oh! that is another affair," said Mrs. Falconer, smiling in her turn. "One must not in all cases have recourse to the same expedients.

Besides, if we produce our proofs on one occasion, we shall depend upon having our word taken on trust another time; and it would be too much to make a practice of showing gentlemen's letters: it is not what I should always do--certainly not with regard to a man of Count Altenberg's rank and pretensions, who merits to be treated with somewhat more consideration, surely, than a man who hazards such a proposal as this. I merely produced it to show you that Georgiana is in no absolute distress for admirers. And now, my dear, I must trouble you--those public singers are terribly expensive; yet at a concert we must have them, and one cannot have them without coming up to their price--I must trouble you to sign this draft, for our concert last week."

"Now, Mrs. Falconer, I have signed it," cried the commissioner, "and it is the last, for a similar purpose, I ever will sign--upon my honour."

"I have invited every body to a concert here next week," said Mrs.

Falconer: "What can I do?"

"Do as others do," said the commissioner; "let these musical professors give a concert at your house: then, instead of paying them, you share their profits, and you have the best company at your house into the bargain."

"Such things are done, I know," said Mrs. Falconer, "and by people of rank; but Lady Jane Granville would not do it, when she was more distressed for money than we are, and I know many say it is what they would not do."

"It must be done by you, Mrs. Falconer, or you must give up having concerts altogether," said the commissioner, leaving the room.

To give up concerts was quite impossible, especially as French Clay was, or pretended to be, pa.s.sionately fond of music, and it was at her musical parties that he never failed to attend a.s.siduously. The next concert was given by a celebrated performer at Mrs. Falconer's house, and she and the singers shared the profit. To such meanness can the slaves of fashion condescend!

At this concert it happened that there was a new and remarkably handsome, graceful, female Italian singer, who was much admired by all the gentlemen present, and particularly by French Clay, who had set up, with little ear, and less taste, for a great judge of music. He was ambitious of appearing as the patron of this young performer. He went about every where talking of her in raptures, and making interest for her with all the great people of his acquaintance. Her own voice and her own charms needed not the protection of Mr. Clay; from the night she was first produced at Mrs. Falconer's, she became at once the height of the fashion. Every body was eager to have her at their parties, especially as she had never yet been upon the stage. Admirers crowded round her, and among them were many of rank and fortune: an old earl and a young baronet were of the number. The ardour of compet.i.tion so much increased the zeal of French Clay, that what was at first only affectation, became real enthusiasm. He was resolved to win the lady from all his rivals.

He had frequent opportunities of seeing her at Mrs. Falconer's, where he appeared always in glory as her patron.

Seraphina, the fair Italian, considering Mrs. Falconer as her first patroness, made it a point of grat.i.tude to hold her concerts frequently at her house. Mrs. Falconer was proud of the distinction. Fresh eclat was thrown upon her and upon her daughters.

French Clay was always near Miss Georgiana Falconer, or near Seraphina; and he applauded each by turns with all the raptures of an amateur. Mrs.