in James the First's reign. That is not the
sort of old family that I mean," said Mr Hatton.

"Well there is Colonel Cockawhoop," said Sir Vavasour. "The Cockawhoops
are a very good family I have always heard."

"Contractors of Queen Anne: partners with Marlborough and Solomon
Medina; a very good family indeed: but I do not make peers out of good
families, Sir Vavasour; old families are the blocks out of which I cut
my Mercurys."

"But what do you call an old family?" said Sir Vavasour.

"Yours," said Mr Hatton, and he threw a full glance on the countenance
on which the light rested.

"We were in the first batch of baronets," said Sir Vavasour.

"Forget the baronets for a while," said Hatton. "Tell me, what was your
family before James the First?"

"They always lived on their lands," said Sir Vavasour. "I have a room
full of papers that would perhaps tell us something about them. Would
you like to see them?"

"By all means: bring them all here. Not that I want them to inform me
of your rights: I am fully acquainted with them. You would like to be a
peer, sir. Well, you are really Lord Vavasour, but there is a difficulty
in establishing your undoubted right from the single writ of summons
difficulty. I will not trouble you with technicalities, Sir Vavasour:
sufficient that the difficulty is great though perhaps not unmanageable.
But we have no need of management. Your claim on the barony of Lovel
is very good: I could recommend your pursuing it, did not another
more inviting still present itself. In a word, if you wish to be Lord
Bardolf, I will undertake to make you so, before, in all probability,
Sir Robert Peel obtains office; and that I should think would gratify
Lady Firebrace."

"Indeed it would," said Sir Vavasour, "for if it had not been for this
sort of a promise of a peerage made--I speak in great confidence Mr
Hatton--made by Mr Taper, my tenants would have voted for the whigs the
other day at the ----shire election, and the conservative candidate would
have been beaten. Lord Masque had almost arranged it, but Lady Firebrace
would have a written promise from a high quarter, and so it fell to the
ground."

"Well we are independent of all these petty arrangements now," said Mr
Hatton.

"It is very wonderful," said Sir Vavasour, rising from his chair and
speaking as it were to himself. "And what do you think our expenses will
be in this claim?" he inquired.

"Bagatelle!" said Mr Hatton. "Why a do