the christening cake she had ordered from Perth ; it might be as old as the hills before there would be another child born amongst them.

The Misses were ready to weep at the disappointment of the dreaming bread.î

In the midst of all this agitation, mental and bodily, the long-looked-for moment arrived. The carriage drove round ready packed and loaded, and, absolutely screaming with delight, Lady Juliana sprung into it; as she nodded, and kissed her hand to the assembled group, she impatiently called to Henry to follow. His adieus were, however, not quite so tonish as those of his high-bred lady, for he went duly and severally through all the evolutions of kissing, embracing, shaking of hands, and promises to write; then taking his station by the side of the nurse and child, the rest of the carriage being completely filled by the favourites, he bade a long farewell to his paternal halls and the land of his birth.

1

1 [Dreaming-bread cake to be put under the pillow to suggest dreams of the future or futur.]

CHAPTER XX

"For trifles, why should I displease The man I love? For trifles such as these To serious mischiefs lead the man I love."

HORACE.

BRIGHT prospects of future happiness, and endless plans of expense, floated through Lady Juliana's brain, and kept her temper in some degree of serenity during the journey.

Arrived in London, she expressed herself enraptured at being once more in a civilised country, and restored to the society of human creatures. An elegant house, and suitable establishment, were immediately provided; and a thousand dear friends, who had completely forgotten her existence, were now eager to welcome her to her former haunts, and lead her thoughtless and willing steps in the paths of dissipation and extravagance.

Soon after their arrival, they were visited by General Cameron. It was two o'clock, yet Lady Juliana had not appeared; and Henry, halfstretched upon a sofa, was dawdling over his breakfast, with half-a-dozen newspapers scattered round. The first salutations over, the General demanded "Am I not to be favoured with a sight of your lady? Is she afraid that I am one of your country relations, and taken her flight from the breakfasttable in consequence?"

“She has not yet made her appearance,” replied Douglas; "but I will let her know you are here. I am sure she will be happy to make acquaintance with one to whom I am so much indebted."

A message was dispatched to Lady Juliana, who returned for answer that she would be down immediately. Three-quarters of an hour, however, elapsed; and the General, provoked with this inattention and affectation, was preparing to depart, when the lady made her appearance.

“Juliana, my love," said her husband, "let me present you to General Cameron-the generous friend who has acted the part of a father towards me, and to whom you owe all the comforts you enjoy."

Lady Juliana slightly bowed with careless ease, and half uttered a "How d'ye do-very happy indeed- as she glided on to pull the bell for breakfast. "Cupid, Cupid!" cried she to the dog, who had flown upon the General, and was barking most vehemently; "poor darling Cupid! are you almost starved to death? Harry, do give him that muffin on your plate.”

"You are very late to-day, my love," cried the mortified husband.

"I have been pestered for the last hour with Duval and the court dresses, and I could not fix on what I should like."

General

"I think you might have deferred the ceremony of choosing to another opportunity. Cameron has been here above an hour."

"Dear! I hope you did not wait for me—I shall be quite shocked!" drawled out her Ladyship in a tone denoting how very indifferent the answer I would be to her.

"I beg your Ladyship would be under no uneasiness on that account," replied the General, in an ironical tone, which, though lost upon her, was obvious enough to Henry.

"Have you breakfasted?" asked Lady Juliana, exerting herself to be polite.

"Absurd, my love!" cried her husband.

"Do

you suppose I should have allowed the General to wait for that too all this time, if he had not breakfasted many hours ago."

"How cross you are this morning, my Harry! I protest my Cupidon is quite ashamed of your grossièreté!"

A servant now entered to say Mr. Shagg was come to know her Ladyship's final decision about the hammer-cloths; and the new footman was come to be engaged; and the china merchant was below.

"Send up one of them at a time; and, as to the footman, you may say, I'll have him at once," said Lady Juliana.

"I thought you had engaged Mrs. D.'s footman last week. She gave him the best character, did she not?" asked her husband.

"Oh yes! his character was good enough; but he was a horrid cheat for all that. He called himself five feet nine, and when he was measured, he turned out to be only five feet seven and a half."

"Pshaw!" exclaimed Henry angrily. "What the devil did that signify if the man had a good character?"

"How absurdly you talk, Harry, as if a man's character signified, who has nothing to do but to stand behind my carriage!-A pretty figure he'd

made there behind Thomas, who is at least five feet ten!"

The entrance of Mr. Shagg, bowing and scraping, and laden with cloths, lace, and fringes, interrupted the conversation.

"Well, Mr. Shagg," cried Lady Juliana, "what's to be done with that odious leopard's skin? you must positively take it off my hands. I would rather never go in a carriage again as show myself in the Park with that frightful thing.'

"Certainly, my Lady," replied the obsequious Mr. Shagg," anything your Ladyship pleases; your Ladyship can have any hammer-cloth you like; and I have accordingly brought patterns of the very newest fashions for your Ladyship to make choice. Here are some uncommon elegant articles. At the same time, my Lady, your Ladyship must be sensible, that it is impossible that we can take back the leopard's skin. It was not only cut out to fit your Ladyship's coach-box-and consequently your Ladyship understands it would not fit any other

but the silver feet and crests have also been affixed quite ready for use, so that the article is quite lost to us. I am confident, therefore, that your Ladyship will consider of this, and allow it to be put down in your bill."

"Put it anywhere but on my coach-box, and don't bore me!" answered Lady Juliana, tossing over the patterns, and humming a tune.

"What," said her husband, is that the leopard's skin you were raving about last week, and are you tired of it before it has been used?"

"And no wonder. Who do you think I saw in the Park yesterday, but that old quiz Lady Denham, just come from the country, with her