forts are
better provided for than they have been."

Mary went away rather wondering at this order. But, to be sure, Mr.
Brough was a great man, and her Samuel's benefactor; and though the silly
child absolutely began to cry as she packed and toiled at Aunt's enormous
valises, yet she performed the work, and came down with a smiling face to
my aunt, who was entertaining Mr. and Mrs. Brough with a long and
particular account of the balls at the Castle, in Dublin, in Lord
Charleville's time.

"I have packed the trunks, Aunt, but I am not strong enough to bring them
down," said Mary.

"Certainly not, certainly not," said John Brough, perhaps a little
ashamed. "Hallo! George, Frederic, Augustus, come upstairs this
instant, and bring down the trunks of Mrs. Hoggarty of Castle Hoggarty,
which this young lady will show you."

Nay, so great was Mr. Brough's condescension, that when some of his
fashionable servants refused to meddle with the trunks, he himself seized
a pair of them with both bands, carried them to the carriage, and shouted
loud enough for all Lamb's Conduit Street to hear, "John Brough is not
proud--no, no; and if his footmen are too high and mighty, he'll show
them a lesson of humility."

Mrs. Brough was for running downstairs too, and taking the trunks from
her husband; but they were too heavy for her, so she contented herself
with sitting on one, and asking all persons who passed her, whether John
Brough was not an angel of a man?

In this way it was that my aunt left us. I was not aware of her
departure, for I was at the office at the time; and strolling back at
five with Gus, saw my dear Mary smiling and bobbing from the window, and
beckoning to us both to come up. This I thought was very strange,
because Mrs. Hoggarty could not abide Hoskins, and indeed had told me
repeatedly that either she or he must quit the house. Well, we went
upstairs, and there was Mary, who had dried her tears and received us
with the most smiling of faces, and laughed and clapped her hands, and
danced, and shook Gus's hand. And what do you think the little rogue
proposed? I am blest if she did not say she would like to go to
Vauxhall!

As dinner was laid for three persons only, Gus took his seat with fear
and trembling; and then Mrs. Sam Titmarsh related the circumstances which
had occurred, and how Mrs. Hoggarty had been whisked away to Fulham in
Mr. Brough's splendid carriage-and-four. "Let her go," I am sorry