the Park. Next day we went to the office as usual, when you may be sure
that Hoskins told everything of what had happened, and a great deal more;
and somehow, though I did not pretend to care sixpence about the matter,
I must confess that I _was_ rather pleased that the gents in our office
should hear of a part of my adventure.

But fancy my surprise, on coming home in the evening, to find Mrs. Stokes
the landlady, Miss Selina Stokes her daughter, and Master Bob Stokes her
son (an idle young vagabond that was always playing marbles on St.
Bride's steps and in Salisbury Square),--when I found them all bustling
and tumbling up the steps before me to our rooms on the second floor, and
there, on the table, between our two flutes on one side, my album, Gus's
"Don Juan" and "Peerage" on the other, I saw as follows:--

1. A basket of great red peaches, looking like the cheeks of my dear
Mary Smith.

2. A ditto of large, fat, luscious, heavy-looking grapes.

3. An enormous piece of raw mutton, as I thought it was; but Mrs. Stokes
said it was the primest haunch of venison that ever she saw.

And three cards--viz.

DOWAGER COUNTESS OF DRUM.
LADY FANNY RAKES.

MR. PRESTON.
LADY JANE PRESTON.