breakfast the morning after our arrival with her face shockingly swelled
and bitten by--never mind what. To cut a long tale short, I was half mad
with the continual choppings and changings, and the long stories and
scoldings of my aunt. As for her great acquaintances, none of them were
in London; and she made it a matter of quarrel with me that I had not
introduced her to John Brough, Esquire, M.P., and to Lord and Lady
Tiptoff, her relatives.

Mr. Brough was at Brighton when we arrived in town; and on his return I
did not care at first to tell our Director that I had brought my aunt
with me, or mention my embarrassments for money. He looked rather
serious when perforce I spoke of the latter to him and asked for an
advance; but when he heard that my lack of money had been occasioned by
the bringing of my aunt to London, his tone instantly changed. "That, my
dear boy, alters the question; Mrs. Hoggarty is of an age when all things
must be yielded to her. Here are a hundred pounds; and I beg you to draw
upon me whenever you are in the least in want of money." This gave me
breathing-time until she should pay her share of the household expenses.
And the very next day Mr. and Mrs. John Brough, in their splendid
carriage-and-four, called upon Mrs. Hoggarty and my wife at our lodgings
in Lamb's Conduit Street.

It was on the very day when my poor aunt appeared with her face in that
sad condition; and she did not fail to inform Mrs. Brough of the cause,
and to state that at Castle Hoggarty, or at her country place in
Somersetshire, she had never heard or thought of such vile odious things.

"Gracious heavens!" shouted John Brough, Esquire, "a lady of your rank to
suffer in this way!--the excellent relative of my dear boy, Titmarsh!
Never, madam--never let it be said that Mrs. Hoggarty of Castle Hoggarty
should be subject to such horrible humiliation, while John Brough has a
home to offer her,--a humble, happy, Christian home, madam; though
unlike, perhaps, the splendour to which you have been accustomed in the
course of your distinguished career. Isabella my love!--Belinda! speak
to Mrs. Hoggarty. Tell her that John Brough's house is hers from garret
to cellar. I repeat it, madam, from garret to cellar. I desire--I
insist--I order, that Mrs. Hoggarty of Castle Hoggarty's trunks should be
placed this instant in my carriage! Have the goodness to look to them
yourself, Mrs. Titmarsh, and see that your dear aunt's com