meal, set about procuring it, and his departure visibly relieved Benson,
who was clearly not proud of his acquaintance. Le Roi also went after
his breakfast, taking care to get as far as possible from the corner of
the room where Simpson was.

"There," said Benson, "is a very fair specimen of 'second set.' He is B,
No. 1, rather a great man in his own circle, and imports French goods.
To hear him talk about French actresses and eating-houses, you would
think him a ten-years' resident of that city, instead of having been
there perhaps four times in his life, a week each time. But you know we
Americans have a wonderful faculty of seeing a great deal in a little
time. Just so with Italy; he was there two months, and professes to know
all about the country and the people. But he doesn't know the set abroad
or at home. Sometimes you meet him at a ball, where he does his duty
about supper time; but you will never see him dancing with, or talking
to, the ladies who are 'of us.' Nevertheless, they will avail themselves
of his services sometimes, when they want to buy silks at wholesale
prices, or to have something smuggled for them; for he is the
best-natured man in the world. And, after all, he is not more given to
scandal than the exquisites, and is a great deal honester and truer.
Once I caught a fever out on the north-eastern boundary, and had not a
friend with me, or any means of getting help. This man nursed me like a
brother, and put himself to no end of trouble for me until we could
fetch Carl on. I would certainly rather have been under such an
obligation to some other men I know than to Simpson; but having
incurred it, I do not think it can be justly paid off with a
'glad-to-know-you-when-I'm-at-Bath-again' acquaintance; and I feel bound
to be civil to him, though he does bother me immensely at times with his
free-and-easy habits,--walking into my parlor with his hat on and cigar
in his mouth; chaffing me or my wife in language about as elegant as an
omnibus driver's; or pawing ladies about in a way that he takes for
gallantry. Talking of ladies, I wish mine would show themselves for
breakfast. Ah, here are two men you must know; they are good types of
two classes of our beaux--the considerably French and the slightly
English--the former class the more numerous, you are probably aware. Mr.
White, Mr. Ashburner--Mr. Ashburner, Mr. Sumner."

Hamilton White was a tall, handsome man, some few years on the wrong
side of