CHAPTER XI.

The Short Dinner.

HAVING no wish to accompany Mrs. Temple and her family in their banishment to Fenny Hollows, a region, we believe, somewhat resembling that celebrated spot on the borders of the Swan River to wit, "Squampash Flatts, near Muddiboo," we will turn our attention to Fanny Stapleton and her father. The journey to London was one of unmixed delight to the former, having been privately informed by him, that Mrs. Stapleton's health was by no means in that state to create any alarm; but that, having been unaccustomed to the loss of her daughter's society, she had experienced a degree of languor, and general indisposition, which there was no manner of doubt Fanny's return home would very speedily remove.

"If you wish it, and if your mother approves," said this indulgent parent, "I see no reason why we should not winter at Brighton. The distance, and modes of conveyance are now so easy

to that place, that there would be no difficulty in my running down to you from Saturday to Monday. Your brothers, too, might do the same; and I think it would thus be agreeable to all of us."

"Oh, that would be quite delightful!" replied Fanny, "I should then have nothing whatever to wish for. Certainly," she added, "I have enjoyed this short visit to Hastings greatly. Mrs. Temple and the girls were as kind as possible to me; but still, there was the want of a feeling of home that hung over me, and would not let me be quite perfectly happy; and then Mrs. Temple seems so anxious, and, I should say, 'fussey' at times, although I never could tell why it often made me quite uncomfortable to see it. I really think she has some grief, or other, on her mind, poor woman! which must be doubly hard to bear, if she has no one to confide it to."

"I fear the Temples have rather overstrained their means lately, in attempting to keep pace with their perhaps richer, and more fashionable friends. Temple hinted to me, that it would be absolutely necessary for them to commence a system of retrenchment; and indeed, my dear, that was one motive that hurried me to fetch you, for I

believe Mrs. Temple is a thoughtless, worldlyminded woman, and I did not choose that she should have the plea of your visit to them to urge for lengthening her stay in a place which, I believe, prudence would have decided her on avoiding."

The good merchant did not here think it necessary to add, that he had, in the most friendly manner, offered his services to Mr. Temple, should any temporary embarassment have been produced by oversight, or other circumstances. The equally honest, and plain spoken Mr. Temple, however, assured him, it was still within his own power, by resuming with a tighter hand the reins of government, to check the useless and perplexing difficulties Mrs. Temple would otherwise bring upon his head.

Like

most men of easy temper in trifles, he could see, and act up to important exigencies, with a degree of judicious firmness, that left no doubt on Mr. Stapleton's mind of his easily surmounting his present difficulties.

Barney, of course, had been discharged on the ladies leaving town, and had fortunately found an immediate service as man of all work with two old maids, and their bachelor brother, residing in Montague Place; a far better quarter

of the town, as his late fellow-servants told him, than the fluctuating "west end." Where servants are just hired for a few months, to make a splash with, exposed to all kinds of temptation and wickedness, and turned adrift at the approach of winter, on the families leaving town; many of whom are so well aware of the depravity of London servants, that they will not endanger the integrity of those they have in the country, by bringing them within reach of its contaminating precincts. Barney had reason, therefore, to be thankful, in having secured a place where he might, probably, stay from year to year.

Miss Jones, Miss Julia Jones, and Mr. James Jones, were the three remaining unmarried branches of a considerably large number of Jones's, transmitted to the public by Mr. and Mrs. Jones, two, no doubt, very worthy personages, though boasting a name not exactly distinguishable from the Brown's, White's, Smith's, and other monosyllabic cognomens, more laconic than elegant. In their own peculiar march, the elder Jones's had signalized themselves principally by their plentiful production of little Jones's; and in having, by the means of some honest trade or other, then acknowledged, but long since utterly forgotten by Miss Jones, Miss

Julia Jones, and Mr. James Jones, left a tolerably comfortable provision for each and every of their numerous progeny.

The Misses Jones, on demise of their parents, and subsequently on having, or nearly so, given up all hopes of marriage, had resolved to commence housekeeping in conjunction with their younger, and only single brother. They took a house, as aforesaid, in Montague Place, which, although east of Tottenham Court Road, appeared to their half-formed notions of fashion, the pink of perfection, as regarded situation; and they most unconscionably expected to be visited therein by their more fashionable friends, notwithstanding the law of that supreme dictator, Theodore Hook, had gone forth to mar such presumptuous hopes.

No one ever heard the Misses Jones recur to the days of their juvenility, or specify their location during infancy and youth. By silence on this head they hoped, (alas! how vainly,) that a censorious, ill-natured world, could, or would, forget they had been born in the questionable neighbourhood of St. Mary Axe, and that they had received the first rudiments of education at a day school in the Minories: they had some recollection of having once been quartered at or