wearer suffered it, on account of its imposing aspect, and now walked
with long strides to the fire, to which he turned his back, threw up his
chin, and made his bald crown double in the glass.

"Matilda, have the goodness to close the door."

"Yes, dear," and the door was closed.

"Matilda, have the goodness to ring for the urn. Oh, it is here!"

In effect, hissing and steaming, the urn was brought in by Edward, and
the tea-caddy placed upon the table.

"Edward!"

"Yes, Sir Hampton."

"Tell Miss Smith to inform her ladyship that we are waiting breakfast."

"Yes, Sir Hampton."

The footman hurried out, and Sir Hampton took up yesterday's _Times_,
which arrived so late on the day of issue that it was not perused by the
good knight till breakfast-hour the next morning, his seat, Tolcarne,
being three hundred and twenty miles from town, and some distance off
the West Cornwall Railway.

Sir Hampton--tell it not in the far West--had made his money by tea; had
been made alderman by his fellow-citizens, and made a knight by his
sovereign, upon the occasion of a visit to the City, when the turtle
provided was extra good, and pleased the royal palate.

While waiting the coming of her ladyship, Sir Hampton, a staunch
Conservative, skimmed the cream of a tremendously Liberal leader, grew
redder in the face, punched the paper in its Liberal wind to double it
up, and then went on with it, shaking his head fiercely, as his sister
smoothed her mittens and watched him furtively, till the door opened
with a snatch, and a little round, plump body, very badly dressed, and,
so to speak, walking beneath a ribbon and lace structure, which she bore
upon her head as if it were something to sell, bobbed into the room.

Description of people is absolutely necessary on the first introduction,
so a few words must be said about Lady Frances Rea. She was what vulgar
people would have termed "crumby;" but, literally, she was a plump
little body of forty, who, born a baby, seemed to have remained
unaltered save as to size. She was pink, and fair, and creamy, and
soft, and had dimples in every place where a dimple was possible; her
eyes were bright, teeth good, her hair a nice brown, and in short she
seemed as if she had always lived on milk, and was brimming with the
milk of human kindness still.

"Ten minutes past nine, Fanny," said Sir Hampton, pompously, after a
struggle with a watch that did not want to be consulted.

"Never