finest old beeswing port, exquisite sherry, Madeira that the Admiral could vouch for as having taken two voyages to India, and champagne dry and sweet, from one of the best growers in France. With such creature comforts, and a most agreeable party, can it be wondered that the hours passed rapidly away, and it was near midnight when we separated? Upon passing the Horse Guards, I heard the clock chime twelve; it was then that my conscience upbraided me at having remained so long from the poor sufferer at home, but I tried to reconcile my absence upon the plea, that duty, not pleasure, kept me at my uncle's board.

Vain sophistry! which produced no lasting effect, and almost maddened me at the thought of my heartless conduct.

My whole time was now devoted to what ladies take such a delight in—shopping, albeit, mine was more a matter of business than is usually practised by the fair sex, whose pleasure seems to be to look at an enormous quantity of articles, confining their purchases to a few. As my father generally called for me,

and was the very essence of punctuality, I was obliged to leave my home very early, and plant myself in readiness at the door of the hotel, to prevent the possibility of some stupid waiter saying, "Mr. Pembroke has not yet been here this morning."

We then proceeded to the different tradesmen, tailors, army accoutrement makers, saddlers, and bootmakers, and what with ordering, measuring, and trying on, I had not much time to spare before dinner. The result was, that Mary and her father were sadly neglected. The former bore my absence without a pang, knowing that it was unavoidable. Winterburn expressed no opinion, but evidently felt hurt, not upon his own, but his daughter's account.

I had now dined with the Admiral for nearly a week, when I availed myself of an opportunity (caused by an engagement my father had made) of staying at home.

Unfortunately, our culinary artist had quarrelled with the housemaid, about some point of kitchen etiquette, and the dinner was sacrificed to this feud; it was not ready at seven o'clock,

and when I petulantly rang the bell, as a matter of course, instead of expediting the affair, it delayed it; the soup, after an awful quarter of an hour, in which, being very hungry, I gave way to bad humour, proved to be smoked, the fish was underboiled, and the joint roasted to a tinder.

"You really must speak, my dear, to the cook," said I peevishly. How strange it is, that whenever husbands wish to shew their authority, their anger, or spleen, they invariably say my dear,' when the antipodes of such a remark is uppermost in their thoughts.

"I will give her a good lecture to-morrow," replied Mary, "I'm quite vexed you should have been so disappointed, especially after the splendid fare you have lately had in Whitehall Gardens."

"Bring the cheese," said I, in a very sharp tone to the maid, which was followed by a look at the mistress ending in a whisper.

"How unfortunate you are to-day, Arthur, we ate the last for lunch; but do let me send for some, or for a nice lobster, I know you will

like that, and I will make the dressing for it."

'Oh, it's too late, my dear, to send about town this evening, I can do very well without it," I responded, in not a very amiable mood.

"And the lobster ?" she asked, in the most affectionate manner.

"I have already said it's not worth while to make the servant go all the way to Bond Street," I rejoined, "and as for fish in this part of the town, I could not touch it."

A momentary cloud seemed to come over my wife's brow, but like a summer one, it quickly vanished. Winterburn, who had kept a profound silence, shortly made an excuse that he had letters to answer, and left the room. Although during his absence we did not come to an open rupture, thanks to the patient endurance of Mary, I could no longer have put in a claim for the Dunmow flitch of bacon for I am in candour bound to own, that in thought, or rather a sudden flash of it, a feeling that my married life was not what I had anticipated, crossed my mind. Determined, however,

not to wound a heart that loved me, I speedily recovered my good temper, and excusing myself for five minutes, under the pretext of going to the chymist's, I went to the nearest fishmonger's, and purchased a splendid lobster.

'Here, Mary," I exclaimed, with a smiling face, "none of us made a very good dinner, so I have brought you something for supper, you must make the dressing, and then I know both your father and myself will enjoy it."

Winterburn delighted at my conciliatory speech, ably assisted me in cracking the shell of this delicious denizen of the sea, I having remarked that in the state of mind the cook was in, she would, if possible, spoil the lobster, by breaking into its house with the dirty kitchen. poker.

"A glass of whisky toddy will go well with this, Mary," said I, "and while you are occupied with the cruet stand, I will take the spirit case under my charge, and that your father may not be unoccupied, perhaps he will have the goodness to slice the cucumber."

"Most willingly," responded my former tutor,