omed out at the top of the
great stairs, announced her coming in a voice that seemed to strike
dismay into all unliveried bystanders.'

"One thing Secretary Bolt would, do that always displeased me, as did
everything that tended to lower the dignity of the corps. It was
this:--My lady loved dearly her drives in the park, and took them
nearly every day, at the most fashionable hour of five. Bolt, in cloth
exquisite, had always his seat at her side, where his special office
seemed that of nursing her favorite poodle and smoothing the Earl, who
on the front seat sat with icy straightness, all over with cheap
compliments. This was all very fine as far as it went! Being proud of
Bolt, as I have before related, we generously overlooked in him those
errors which are rather the result of vanity than the natural
offspring of an imperfect education. But we, as a nation have a worthy
aversion to paying a dear price for the maintenance of dignity; hence
Bolt, whose salary was but a paltry pittance in an atmosphere of
singular extravagance, soon found himself becoming involved for the
adjuncts necessary to such a connection. A happy thought, however,
soon flashed across his mind: was he not protected by the sacred
character of the mission? Of course he was!--away all misgivings!
What was the contemplation of such dreary matter to the pleasing
recollection of those fair ones whose hearts he had made flutter! And
then, not a day passed but he received no end of pretty missives,
perfumed and enveloped with curiously wrought lace, and virtuous
satin,--all bearing the tenderest burdens of love and despair. Bolt
was indeed fairly set upon by rival candidates for his heart, which
was supposed to possess a large portion of susceptibility. Nor were
his admirers merely confined to the satin and velvet of the
aristocracy, for 'pretty Betty,' maid of all work to the Legation, and
on that account so vain of the honor that she would not condescend to
associate with servants not attached to the corps, was by Thomas, a
wonderfully sagacious footman, discovered to be the writer of an
highly scented missive, directed as an arrow at the heart of
Bolt. That this little shaft of the tender passion contained some
truly original lines the enlightened cannot doubt; and I think I may
assert without fear of contradiction that Betty did in these lines,
notwithstanding they evinced a sovereign contempt for orthography and
versification, discover a deep knowle