"Ha, ha!"--exclaimed the earl, gently.

"Had you any acquaintance with the Aubreys, Mr. t.i.tmouse?" inquired the Lady Cecilia.

"No, my Lady--yes, your Ladyship, (I beg your Ladyship's pardon)--but, now I think of it, I had a slight acquaintance with Miss Aubrey."

[t.i.tmouse, t.i.tmouse, you little wretch, how dare you say so?]

"She is considered pretty in the country, I believe," drawled Lady Cecilia, languidly.

"Oh, most uncommon lovely!--_middling_, only middling, my Lady, I should say"--added t.i.tmouse, suddenly; having observed, as he fancied, rather a displeased look in Lady Cecilia. He had begun his sentence with more energy than he had yet shown in the house; he finished it hastily, and colored as he spoke--feeling that he had, somehow or another, committed himself.

"Do you form a new establishment at Yatton, sir?" inquired the earl, "or take to any part of that of your predecessor?"

"I have not, please your Lordship, made up my mind yet exactly--should like to know your Lordship's opinion."

"Why, sir, I should be governed by circ.u.mstances--by circ.u.mstances, sir; when you get there, sir, you will be better able to judge of the course you should pursue." t.i.tmouse made an humble obeisance.

"Do you intend, Mr. t.i.tmouse, to live in town, or in the country?"

inquired Lady Cecilia.

"A little of both, my Lady--but mostly in town; because, as your Ladyship sees, the country is _devilish_ dull--'pon my life, my Lady--my Lord--beg a thousand pardons," he suddenly added, bowing to both, and blushing violently. Here he _had_ committed himself, and awfully; but his august companions bowed to him very kindly, and he presently recovered his self-possession.

"Are you fond of hunting, Mr. t.i.tmouse?" inquired the earl.

"Why, my Lord, can't exactly say that I am--but your Lordship sees, cases alter circ.u.mstances, and when I get down there among the country gents, p'r'aps I may do as they do, my Lord."

"I presume, Mr. t.i.tmouse, you have scarcely chosen a town residence yet?" inquired Lady Cecilia.

"No, my Lady--not fixed it yet--was thinking of taking Mr. Aubrey's house in Grosvenor Street, understanding it is to be sold;" then turning towards the earl--"because, as your Lordship sees, I was thinking of getting into _both_ the nests of the old birds, while both are warm"--he added with a very faint smile.

"Exactly; yes--I see, sir--I understand you," replied Lord Dreddlington, sipping his wine. His manner rather discomposed t.i.tmouse, to whom it then very naturally occurred that the earl might be warmly attached to the Aubreys, and not relish their being spoken of so lightly; so t.i.tmouse hastily and anxiously added--"Your Lordship sees I was most _particular_ sorry to make the Aubreys turn out. A most uncommon respectable gent, Mr. Aubrey: I a.s.sure your Lordship I think so."

"I had not the honor of his acquaintance, sir," replied the earl, coldly, and with exceeding stiffness, which fl.u.s.tered t.i.tmouse not a little; and a pause occurred in the conversation for nearly a minute.

Dinner had now considerably advanced, and t.i.tmouse was beginning to grow a _little_ familiar with the routine of matters. Remembering Gammon's caution concerning the wine, and also observing how very little was drunk by the earl and Lady Cecilia, t.i.tmouse did the same; and during the whole of dinner had scarcely four full gla.s.ses of wine.

"How long is it," inquired the earl, addressing his daughter, "since the Aubreys took that house?" Lady Cecilia could not say. "Stay--now I recollect--surely it was just before my appointment to the Household.

Yes; it was about that time, I now recollect. I am alluding, Mr.

t.i.tmouse," continued the earl, addressing him in a very gracious manner, "to an appointment under the Crown of some little distinction, which I was solicited to accept at the personal instance of his Majesty, on the occasion of our party coming into power--I mean that of Lord Steward of the Household."

"Dear me, my Lord! Indeed! Only to think, your Lordship!" exclaimed t.i.tmouse, with such a profound deference in his manner as encouraged the earl to proceed.

"That, sir, was an office of great importance, and I had some hesitation in undertaking its responsibility. But, sir, when I had once committed myself to my sovereign and my country, I resolved to give them my best services. I had formed plans for effecting very extensive alterations, sir, in that department of the public service, which I have no doubt would have given great satisfaction to the country, as soon as the nature of my intentions became generally understood; when faction, sir, unfortunately prevailed, and we were compelled to relinquish office."

"Dear me, my Lord! How particular sorry I am to hear it, my Lord!"

exclaimed t.i.tmouse, as he gazed at the baffled statesman with an expression of respectful sympathy.

"Sir, it gives me sincere satisfaction," said the earl, after a pause, "to hear that our political opinions agree"----

"Oh yes! my Lord, quite; _sure_ of that"----

"I a.s.sure you, sir, that some little acquaintance with the genius and spirit of the British const.i.tution has satisfied me that this country can never be safely or advantageously governed except on sound Whig principles."--He paused.

"Yes, my Lord; it's quite true, your Lordship"--interposed t.i.tmouse, reverentially.

"That, sir, is the only way I know of, by which aristocratic inst.i.tutions can be brought to bear effectively upon, to blend harmoniously with the interests of the lower orders--_the people_, Mr.

t.i.tmouse." t.i.tmouse thought this wonderfully fine, and sat listening as to an oracle of political wisdom. The earl, observing it, began to form a much higher opinion of his little kinsman. "The unfortunate gentleman, your predecessor at Yatton, sir, if he had but allowed himself to have been guided by those who had mixed in public affairs before he was born," said the earl, with great dignity----

"'Pon my word, my Lord, he was, I've heard, a d--d Tory!--Oh my Lady! my Lord! humbly beg pardon," he added, turning pale; but the fatal word had been uttered, and heard by both; and he felt as if he could have sunk through the floor.

"Shall I have the honor of taking another gla.s.s of wine with you, sir?"

inquired the earl, rather gravely and severely, as if wishing Mr.

t.i.tmouse fully to appreciate the fearful breach of etiquette of which he had just been guilty, by swearing in such a presence. After they had bowed to each other, a very awkward pause occurred, which was at length broken by the considerate Lady Cecilia.

"Are you fond of the opera, Mr. t.i.tmouse?"

"Very, my Lady--most particular," replied t.i.tmouse, who had been there once only.

"Do you prefer the opera, or the ballet? I mean the music or the dancing?"

"Oh I understand your Ladyship. 'Pon my word, my Lady, I prefer them both. The dancing is most uncommon superior; though I must say, my Lady, the lady dancers there do most uncommonly--_rather_, I should say"--He stopped abruptly; his face flushed, and he felt as if he had burst into a perspiration. What the deuce was he about? It seemed as if some devil within were urging him on, from time to time, to commit himself. Good gracious! another word, and out would have come his opinion as to the shocking indecency of the ballet!

"I understand you, sir; I quite agree with you," said Lady Cecilia, calmly; "the ballet _does_ come on at a sad late hour; I often wish they would now and then have the ballet first."

"'Pon my life, my Lady," quoth t.i.tmouse, eagerly s.n.a.t.c.hing at the plank which had been thrown to him; "that _is_ what I meant--nothing else, upon my soul, your Ladyship!"

"Do you intend taking a box there, Mr. t.i.tmouse?" inquired her Ladyship, with an appearance of interest in the expected answer.

"Why, your Ladyship, they say a box there is a _precious_ long figure;--but in course, my Lady, when I've got to rights a little with my property--your Ladyship understands--I shall do the correct thing."

Here a very long pause ensued. How dismally quiet and deliberate was everything! The very servants, how noiselessly they waited! Everything done just when it was wanted, yet no hurry, or bustle, or noise; and they looked so composed--so much at their ease. He fancied that they had scarce anything else to do than look at him, and watch all his movements; which greatly embarra.s.sed him, and he began to _hate_ them.

He tried hard to inspirit himself with a reflection upon his own suddenly acquired and really great personal importance; absolute master of Ten Thousand a-Year, a relation of the great man at whose table he sat, and whose hired servants they were; but then his timorously raised eye would light, for an instant, upon the splendid _insignia_ of the earl; and he felt as oppressed as ever. What would he not have given for a few minutes' interval, and sense of complete freedom and independence?

And were these to be his feelings ever hereafter? Was this the sort of tremulous apprehension of offence, and embarra.s.sment as to his every move, to which he was to be doomed in high life? Oh that he had but been _born_ to it, like the earl and the Lady Cecilia!

"Were you ever in the House of Lords, Mr. t.i.tmouse?" inquired Lord Dreddlington, suddenly, after casting about for some little time for a topic on which he might converse with t.i.tmouse.

"No, my Lord, never--should most uncommon like to see it, my Lord"--replied t.i.tmouse, eagerly.

"Certainly, it is an impressive spectacle, sir, and well worth seeing,"

said the earl, solemnly.

"I suppose, my Lord, your Lordship goes there every day?"

"Why, sir, I believe _I am_ pretty punctual in my attendance. I was there to-day, sir, till the House rose. Sir, I am of opinion that hereditary legislators--a practical anomaly in a free state like this--but one which has innumerable unperceived advantages to recommend it--Sir, our country expects at our hands, in discharge of so grave a trust--in short, if we were not to be true to--we who are in a peculiar sense the guardians of public liberty--if we were once to betray our trust--Let me trouble you sir, for a little of that----," said the earl, using some foreign word which t.i.tmouse had never heard of before, and looking towards a delicately constructed fabric, as of compressed snow, which stood before t.i.tmouse. A servant was in a twinkling beside him, with his Lordship's plate. Ah me! that I should have to relate so sad an event as presently occurred to t.i.tmouse! He took a spoon; and, imagining the glistening fabric before him to be as solid as it looked, brought to bear upon it an adequate degree of force, even as if he had been going to scoop out a piece of Stilton cheese--and inserting his spoon at the summit of the snowy and deceitful structure, souse to the bottom went spoon, hand, coat-cuff, and all, and a very dismal noise evidenced that the dish on which the aforesaid spoon had descended, with so much force--was no longer a dish. It was, in fact, broken in halves, and the liquid from within, ran about on the cloth.... A cl.u.s.ter of servants was quickly around him.... A mist came over his eyes; the color deserted his cheek; and he had a strange feeling, as if verily the end of all things was at hand.

"I beg you will think nothing of it--for it really signifies nothing at all, Mr. t.i.tmouse," said the earl, kindly, observing his agitation.

"Oh dear! oh my Lord--your Ladyship--what an _uncommon_ stupid a.s.s!"

faltered t.i.tmouse.