d
oysters, in the preparation of which my cook was wonderfully expert; he
also honoured the champagne with equal attention.

We spent three hours at the table and then proceeded to the third floor,
where Sophie accompanied her mother's singing on the piano, and young
Cornelis displayed his flute-playing talents. Mr. Steyne swore that he
had never been present at such a pleasant party in his life, adding that
pleasure was forbidden fruit in England on Sundays and holidays. This
convinced me that Steyne was an intelligent man, though his French was
execrable. He left at seven, after giving a beautiful ring to my
daughter, whom he escorted back to school with Miss Nancy.

The Marquis Petina foolishly observed to me that he did not know where to
find a bed. I understood what he wanted, but I told him he would easily
find one with a little money. Taking his sweetheart aside I gave her a
guinea for him, begging her to tell him not to visit me again till he was
invited.

When all the guests were gone, I led the five sisters to the mother's
room. She was wonderfully well, eating, drinking, and sleeping to
admiration, and never doing anything, not even reading or writing. She
enjoyed the 'dolce far niente' in all the force of the term. However, she
told me she was always thinking of her family, and of the laws which it
imposed on her.

I could scarcely help laughing, but I only said that if these laws were
the same as those which her charming daughters followed, I thought them
wiser than Solon's.

I drew Augusta on to my knee, and said,--

"My lady, allow me to kiss your delightful daughter."

Instead of giving me a direct answer, the old hypocrite began a long
sermon on the lawfulness of the parental kiss. All the time Augusta was
lavishing on me secret but delicious endearments.

'O tempora! O mores!'

The next day I was standing at my window, when the Marquis Caraccioli,
who was passing by, greeted me, and asked me if he could come in. I bade
him welcome, and summoning the eldest sister told the ambassador that
this young lady was going to marry the Marquis Petina as soon as his
remittances arrived.

He addressed himself to her, and spoke as follows:

"Mademoiselle, it is true that your lover is really a marquis, but he is
very poor and will never have any money; and if he goes back to Naples he
will be imprisoned, and if he is released from the State prison his
creditors will put him in the Vittoria."

H