lf, no I won't. Holly-hock, indeed! Why holly-hock?"

At this moment entered the Dandy and Devilsdust.

"Well young ladies," said the Dandy. "A-swelling the receipt of customs
by the consumption of Congo! That won't do, Julia; it won't, indeed. Ask
Dusty. If you want to beat the enemy, you must knock up the revenue. How
d'ye do, widow?"

"The same to you, Dandy Mick. We is deploring the evils of the times
here in a neighbourly way."

"Oh, the times will soon mend," said the Dandy gaily. "Well, so I
think," said the widow; "for when things are at the worst, they always
say--"

"But you always say they cannot mend, Mick," said Julia interrupting her.

"Why in a sense, Julia, in a certain sense, you are right; but there
are two senses to everything, my girl," and Mick began singing, and then
executed a hornpipe to the gratification of Julia and her guests.

"'Tis genteel," said Mick, receiving their approbation. "You remember it
at the Circus?"

"I wonder when we shall have the Circus again?" said Caroline.

"Not with the present rate of wages," said Devilsdust.

"It's very hard," said Caroline, "that the Middle Class are always
dropping our wages. One really has no amusements now. How I do miss the
Temple!"

"We'll have the Temple open again before long," said the Dandy.

"That will be sweet," exclaimed Caroline. "I often dream of that foreign
nobleman who used to sing, 'Oh, no, we never!'"

"Well, I cannot make out what puts you in such spirits, Mick," said
Julia. "You told me only this morning that the thing was up, and that
we should soon be slaves for life; working sixteen hours a day for no
wages, and living on oatmeal porridge and potatoes, served out by the
millocrats like a regular Bastile."

"But, as Madam Carey says, when things are at the worst--"

"Oh! I did say it," said the widow, "surely, because you see, at my
years, I have seen so many ups and downs, though I always say--"

"Come, Dusty," said Julia, "you are more silent than ever. You won't
take a dish I know: but tell us the news, for I am sure you have
something to say."

"I should think we had," said Dusty.

Here all the girls began talking at the same time, and without waiting
for the intelligence, favouring one another with their guesses of its
import.

"I am sure it's Shuffle and Screw going to work half time," said
Harriet. "I always said so."

"It's something to put down the people," said Julia: "I suppose the Nobs
have