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all the world, particularly her husband, except her own maid, of whom it was necessary to make a confidante. Whenever the colonel was tête-àtête with her grace, Mrs. Secondhand, the maid, was placed as a sentinel to prevent any surprise of the outposts, while the colonel was manning those within: his grace's carriage no sooner drew up before the door, than Mrs. Secondhand flew to give notice of it to her grace. What was to be done with the colonel? His grace was hastening to the dressing-room to pay to his wife the customary tribute of disclosing all that had passed in the Cabinet; and the colonel could not leave it without passing him. -Not a moment was to be lost; bnt the prudent parties had provided against such an accident. It had been previously agreed, in case of its happening, that the colonel and Mrs. Secondhand should retire into a closet which adjoined the dressing-room, and that, if his grace's curiosity should draw him thither, Mrs. Secondhand should not hesitate to sacrifice her own reputation to her mistress's (a vast sacrifice, and for which, no doubt, a valuable consideration was to be paid!) by owning the colonel to be her

gallant, and that they had retired to the closet on hearing her grace unexpectedly coming to her dressing-room. By the time that his grace had given a rap at the door, for he was too fashionable to intrude on his wife's privacy without giving the usual signal, every thing was apparently as it should have been; that is to say, her grace was employed at the toilette, and the colonel was out of sight.

The suddenness of the alarm, notwithstanding all the ease and confidence of the haut-ton, which her grace possessed in perfection, had thrown her into a little embarrassment, and the blood, from being checked, had rushed more violently over the extremities. She good-humouredly chid his grace for his impatience, in not sending to know if she was in a situation to receive him.

"Why, my lady, you are always so very anxious to hear news, that I thought I could not possibly break in upon you at an improper season, when I was the bearer of any, — especially of such important ones as I now bring."

"This is, indeed, something like an excuse, my lord; but I am really so very much press-:

ed for time at present, as to have none to throw. away on curiosity.-You know, I am engaged, to be of the Duchess of Dicebox's dinner-party; so, pray make haste to tell me what news you have brought, whilst I rouge my cheeks."

"Indeed, my lady, they do not require it ;I never saw you with such a natural bloom.”. "Recollect that I am in a very great hurry, my lord."

"Well then, my lady, you know that I was summoned to a council, and the business was

"It is certainly a very important affair, my lord; and I am almost in love with you, for the confidence which you place in me."

"Why then, my lady, you must not refuse to give me a small token of your love; as, upon my soul! you look so enchanting in this dishabille, that I am as much in love with you as I was the first day I saw you."

"Poh-poh! I have no time now to throw away on such trifles."

66 Nay, it is but a trifle that I ask a salute."

"I cannot grant it indeed. You see that I have just made up my face for the day, and you are unreasonable enough to wish to discompose it. Pray, do be contented with something in reason, and give me no more interruption.-The last time you broke in upon me in a similar manner, when I was dressing for the Duchess of Dilberry's rout, you were the occasion of an omission, for which if it had been discovered, I should never have forgiven you."

"Pray, what was the omission which would have. drawn down so severe a punishment upon me?” "Why--what betwixt my hurry, and your interruption, I forgot to put in a front tooth, which the Chevalier had just sent me; and absolutely was half way on my visit before I recollected the omission. It was then too late to return. - Afraid to discover the horrid vacancy, I was obliged to keep my mouth shut during the whole evening. Luckily, I lost every game I played, and had more occasion to bite my lips, than to shew my teeth in a smile. But I wonder where my maid is; she grows very

stupid of late, and is always out of the way when I want to dress. — I almost think the jadeis in love : I am so distrest, I ordered some

pommade divine this morning, and it is not sent. I do not know what I should not feel inclined to do for you, if you would drive to 's, and bring it in the carriage with you. I dare say the horses are not taken out yet."

"I would do more than that, my lady, in hopes of the promised reward; but may I not have a small earnest at present?"

"There there's my hand; let that satisfy your lips now, and at a proper season," "I fly, my lady."

His grace left the dressing-room, and the colonel and Mrs. Secondhand came out of the closet more knowing than they went in. No malicious interpretations, Reader! - We only mean, that, as they had overheard every word that passed between their graces, they were in full possession of ME. As I was of great consequence, and the colonel was a member of the Opposition party, he burned with impatience to communicate me to his friends; but he was to be her grace's cicisbeo that night, and he could