upon
herself to represent her own dignity, and the dignity of her husband
also. Well, this Mrs. Hitching was a next-door neighbour of ours--a
most agreeable lady in many respects, middle aged, good looking,
uncommonly fond of talking, of active, almost of fussy habits, very
good tempered and good natured, but with a most unpleasant habit of
misusing the letter H to such a degree that our sensitive nerves have
often been shocked when in her society. But we must beg the reader, if
Mrs. H. should be an acquaintance of his, not to breathe a word of our
having written this account of her--or there would be no limit to her
"_h_indignation." And, as her family is very numerous, it will be
necessary to keep the matter as quiet as can be, for it will scarcely
be possible to mention the subject anywhere, without "'orrifying" some
of her relations, and instigating them to make Mrs. H. become our
"_h_enemy," instead of remaining, as we wish her to do, our intimate
friend.

One morning, Mrs. H. called upon me, and asked me to take a walk,
saying that it was her _h_object to look out for an 'ouse, as her
lease had nearly terminated; and as she had often heard her dear
'Itching say that he would like to settle in the neighbourhood of
'Ampstead 'Eath, she should like me to assist her by my judgment in
the choice of a residence.

"I shall he most happy to accompany you," I said.

"I knew you would," said she; "and I am sure a _h_our or two in your
society will give me pleasure. It's so long since we've 'ad a
gossip. Besides which, I want a change of _h_air."

I glanced at her peruke, and for a moment laboured under the idea
that she intended to call at her hairdresser's; but I soon
recollected.

"I suppose we had better take the _h_omnibus," she remarked, "and we
can get out at the foot of the 'ill."

I assented, and in a few minutes we were in the street, in the line
of the omnibus, and one of those vehicles soon appearing--

"Will you 'ail it?" inquired she.

So I hailed it at once, and we got in. Now Mrs. H. was so fond of
talking that the presence of strangers never restrained her--a fact
which I have often had occasion to regret. She was no sooner within
the omnibus than she began remarking upon _h_inconveaience of such
vehicles, because of their smallness, and the _h_insolence of many
of the conductors. She