ad performed in George's tragedy. His tones were so
thrilling, his eye so bright, his mien so noble, he looked so beautiful
in his gilt leather armour and large buckled periwig, giving utterance
to the poet's glowing verses, that the lady's heart was yielded up to
him, even as Ariadne's to Bacchus when her affair with Theseus was over.
The young Irishman was not a little touched and elated by the highborn
damsel's partiality for him. He might have preferred a Lady Maria
Hagan more tender in years, but one more tender in disposition it were
difficult to discover. She clung to him closely, indeed. She retired to
his humble lodgings in Westminster with him, when it became necessary to
disclose their marriage, and when her furious relatives disowned her.

General Lambert brought the news home from his office in Whitehall one
day, and made merry over it with his family. In those homely times a
joke was none the worse for being a little broad; and a fine lady would
laugh at a jolly page of Fielding, and weep over a letter of Clarissa,
which would make your present ladyship's eyes start out of your head
with horror. He uttered all sorts of waggeries, did the merry General,
upon the subject of this marriage; upon George's share in bringing it
about; upon Barry's jealousy when he should hear of it, He vowed it was
cruel that cousin Hagan had not selected George as groomsman; that the
first child should be called Carpezan or Sybilla, after the tragedy, and
so forth. They would not quite be able to keep a coach, but they might
get a chariot and pasteboard dragons from Mr. Rich's theatre. The baby
might be christened in Macbeth's caldron; and Harry and harlequin ought
certainly to be godfathers.

"Why shouldn't she marry him if she likes him?" asked little Hetty. "Why
should he not love her because she is a little old? Mamma is a little
old, and you love her none the worse. When you married my mamma, sir, I
have heard you say you were very poor; and yet you were very happy, and
nobody laughed at you!" Thus this impudent little person spoke by reason
of her tender age, not being aware of Lady Maria Esmond's previous
follies.

So her family has deserted her? George described what wrath they were
in; how Lady Castlewood had gone into mourning; how Mr. Will swore he
would have the rascal's ears; how furious Madame de Bernstein was, the
most angry of all. "It is an insult to the family," says haughty little
Miss Hett; "and I can fancy