t confide their nags.

In Lord Scamperdale stamped, followed by his train-band bold, and Maria,
the maid, being duly stationed in the passage, threw open the parlour door
on the left, and discovered Mrs. Springwheat sitting in attitude.

'Well, my lady, and how are you?' exclaimed his lordship, advancing gaily,
and seizing both her pretty hands as she rose to receive him. 'I declare,
you look younger and prettier every time I see you.'

'Oh! my lord,' simpered Mrs. Springwheat, 'you gentlemen are always so
complimentary.'

'Not a bit of it!' exclaimed his lordship, eyeing her intently through his
silver spectacles, for he had been obliged to let Jack have the other pair
of tortoiseshell-rimmed ones. 'Not a bit of it,' repeated his lordship. 'I
always tell Jack you are the handsomest woman in Christendom; don't I,
Jack?' inquired his lordship, appealing to his factotum.

'Yes, my lord,' replied Jack, who always swore to whatever his lordship
said.

'By Jove!' continued his lordship, with a stamp of his foot, 'if I could
find such a woman I'd marry her to-morrow. Not such women as you to pick up
every day. And what a lot of pretty pups!' exclaimed his lordship, starting
back, pretending to be struck with the row of staring, black-haired,
black-eyed, half-frightened children. 'Now, that's what I call a good
entry,' continued his lordship, scrutinizing them attentively, and pointing
them out to Jack; 'all dogs--all boys I mean!' added he.

'No, my lord,' replied Mrs. Springwheat, laughing, 'these are girls,'
laying her hand on the heads of two of them, who were now full giggle at
the idea of being taken for boys.

'Well, they're devilish handsome, anyhow,' replied his lordship, thinking
he might as well be done with the inspection.

Springwheat himself now made his appearance, as fine a sample of a man as
his wife was of a woman. His face was flushed with the exertion of pulling
on his tight boots, and his lordship felt the creases the hooks had left as
he shook him by the hand.

'Well, Springey,' said he, 'I was just asking your wife after the new
babby.'

'Oh, thank you, my lord,' replied Springey, with a shake of his curly head;
'thank you, my lord; no new babbies, my lord, with wheat below forty, my
lord.'

'Well, but you've got a pair of new boots, at all events,' observed his
lordship, eyeing Springwheat's refractory calves bagging over the tops of
them.

''Deed have I!' replied Springwheat; 'and a pai