perfectly happy
and comfortable.

'Material enough for a Sartoriad,' said Drummond to Lady Jocelyn.

'Excellent. Pray write it forthwith, Drummond', replied her ladyship;
and as they exchanged talk unintelligible to the Countess, this lady
observed to the Duke:

'It is a relief to have buried that subject.'

The Duke smiled, raising an eyebrow; but the persecuted Countess
perceived she had been much too hasty when Drummond added,

'I'll make a journey to Lymport in a day or two, and master his
history.'

'Do,' said her ladyship; and flourishing her hand, '"I sing the Prince
of Snobs!"'

'Oh, if it's about old Mel, I 'll sing you material enough,' said Mr.
George. 'There! you talk of it's being unnatural, his dining out at
respectable tables. Why, I believe--upon my honour, I believe it's a
fact--he's supped and thrown dice with the Regent.'

Lady Jocelyn clapped her hands. 'A noble culmination, Drummond! The
man's an Epic!'

'Well, I think old Mel was equal to it,' Mr. George pursued. 'He gave me
pretty broad hints; and this is how it was, if it really happened,
you know. Old Mel had a friend; some say he was more. Well, that was
a fellow, a great gambler. I dare say you 've heard of him--Burley
Bennet--him that won Ryelands Park of one of the royal dukes--died worth
upwards of L100,000; and old Mel swore he ought to have had it, and
would if he hadn't somehow offended him. He left the money to Admiral
Harrington, and he was a relation of Mel's.'

'But are we then utterly mixed up with tailors?' exclaimed Mrs.
Barrington.

'Well, those are the facts,' said Mr. George.

The wine made the young squire talkative. It is my belief that his
suspicions were not awake at that moment, and that, like any other young
country squire, having got a subject he could talk on, he did not care
to discontinue it. The Countess was past the effort to attempt to stop
him. She had work enough to keep her smile in the right place.

Every dinner may be said to have its special topic, just as every age
has its marked reputation. They are put up twice or thrice, and have to
contend with minor lights, and to swallow them, and then they command
the tongues of men and flow uninterruptedly. So it was with the great
Mel upon this occasion. Curiosity was aroused about him. Aunt Bel agreed
with Lady Jocelyn that she would have liked to know the mighty tailor.
Mrs. Shorne but very imperceptibly protested against the notion, and
from on