played " selections" under the direction of
Herr Spoffman. They had been brought
by special train. The Royal St. Arthur's
were giving a déjeuner à la fourchette,
in the boat-house, at four o'clock. The
commodore and vice-commodore of the
Royal Burgee were, almost perforce,
invited; and the members of the Royal
Burgee, though they hated it, still spoke
with pride of the invitation, and told each
other at the house " that the commodore
and vice ditto were over at St. Arthur's."

As the day wore on, the excitement
increased, and the crowds gathered more
thickly on the pier. Special trains began
to arrive from neighbouring manufacturing
towns. On the jetty and pier were the
usual " Fair" supernumeraries; fellows
shooting for nuts, the roulettes, the carts
of spruce and ginger-beer. These familiars
take the race- course and the regatta on
their circuit indifferently. The Cheap
Jacks lectured. But suddenly among the
motley group appeared an open carriage,
with a very large gentleman in a large hat—
a bright girl beside him—who was calling
out, in a loud voice, " Don't stop the way,
please—stand aside—we are in a hurry!"
No wonder Doctor Bailey was eager, for
he could actually hear the voice of " that
low Buckley" close by, who was in the
midst of a ring on a granite stone, asking a
large crowd whether "their timbers were
secure and well caulked; whether their
ropes were taut, and were they ready to
mount the ship's side; up the glorious
gangway of faith, and step on the quarter-
deck of the resurrection?"

Seeing faces turning away from him at
the sound of carriage wheels, Mr. Buckley
went on. "Is that the way to put out
on the sea of righteousness, in purple
and fine linen, and," with a slight confusion
of metaphor, " rolling in one's
carriage? Is it by going down to riot, and
drink, and eat, and be filled, and make
merry, like the swine, that the God-fearing
mariner fits himself for his work?" &c.

Thus did the low Buckley make the
doctor serve as a text and homily. What
did the latter care? There he was, getting
down at the door of the Royal St.
Arthur's, and, striding in with his daughter
on his arm. " Keep back these people,
policeman," he said. " There's really no
getting into one's own house. Sir Charles
—he has come, I suppose? eh, Bowles?
Seen the prince about?"

Thus he passed in, pushing his way with
many a " Let me pass, please! People
should move on, and not crowd in the
doors." Miss Jessica's lips were contracted,
and to other people she looked as overbearing
as her father. Out on the terrace, they
came among the gay company, where the
Prince Regent's Own were drumming and
clattering the eternal Trovatore, with
infinite noise.

In a moment Mr. Conway was beside
them, and was seized on, swallowed up in
the vast greeting of the tremendous doctor,
who was himself family, daughter, wife,
all, and spoke for all. With a quiet inattention,
Mr. Conway put him aside and
welcomed Jessica. She was all interest, all
excitement. She had been looking out
for him eagerly, as he saw. The doctor
became of a sudden submerged in business,
calling out, looking for some one.

"Where's Colman? Send him here, do!
Has Sir Charles come? Here, ma'am, be
good enough, do. Don't crowd about the
passage; people can't get in or out," &c.

He was now in the boat-house, looking
after the déjeuner: now out of the
boathouse, looking after the great people, and
all the while, not unnaturally, in a very
great heat.

"I am so glad to meet you," said Jessica.
"What you thought of me I do not know.
But there are people who try and ' draw
out' my father, as they call it, and I
thought————"

"You thought I could be so ill-bred, so
ungentlemanly?" said Conway, colouring.

"I did," said she, fearlessly. " I tell the
truth always, though you may despise me,
and make yourself my enemy for ever."

"Well, you are independent, like myself.
I should have made the same answer, I
suspect. And I like you the better for
telling me this. Look here; who comes
by? You will tell me all the notables."

It was the doctor, and a short, spare,
wiry, grey gentleman, in a white coat and
blue tie, and with a tall young lady on
his arm. She was dressed to perfection,
and a certain good taste about her made
her face handsome. It was Laura the
HEIRESS, and though the majority there
were above everything mean, yet the
presence of so much wealth unconsciously
fluttered them all, and numbers of necks
and heads were twisted and craned " to get
a good view." People even reverently made
way and drew back with an awe they were
ashamed of, but could not resist. If all of us
were saints, money would force this homage.
The doctor was their grand chamberlain.
"See here, Sir Charles. That's the