fettered the petulant spirit contained in a bottle of Schweppe's soda-
water. There was something in the aspect of the old gentleman, and in
the very tone of his voice, that inspired respect, and the waiter had
cleared the other tables of their latest newspapers to place before him.
He had only just arrived by the packet from Havre, and even the
newspapers had not been to him that primary attraction they generally
constitute to the Englishman returning to his bustling native land,
which, somewhat to his surprise, has contrived to go on tolerably well
during his absence.

We use our privilege of looking over his shoulder while he writes:--

Here I am, then, dear Lady Mary, at Southampton, and within an easy drive
of the old Hall. A file of Galignani's journals, which I found on the
road between Marseilles and Paris, informed me, under the head of
"fashionable movements," that Percival St. John, Esquire, was gone to his
seat at Laughton. According to my customary tactics of marching at once
to the seat of action, I therefore made direct for Havre, instead of
crossing from Calais, and I suppose I shall find our young gentleman
engaged in the slaughter of hares and partridges. You see it is a good
sign that he can leave London. Keep up your spirits, my dear friend. If
Perce has been really duped and taken in,--as all you mothers are so apt
to fancy,--rely upon an old soldier to defeat the enemy and expose the
ruse. But if, after all, the girl is such as he describes and believes,-
-innocent, artless, and worthy his affection,--oh, then I range myself,
with your own good heart, upon his side. Never will I run the risk of
unsettling a man's whole character for life by wantonly interfering with
his affections. But there we are agreed.

In a few hours I shall be with our dear boy, and his whole heart will