under very favourable circumstances. In the present instance, too, every one was anxious to please, for the host was entir

by Mr. Ormsby, a new joke now and then well introduced by Mr. Gay, some dashing assertion by Mr. Rigby, which, though wrong, was startling; this agreeable blending of anecdote, jest, and paradox, kept everything fluent, and produced that degree of mild excitation which is desirable. Lord Monmouth sometimes summed up with an epigrammatic sentence, and turned the conversation by a question, in case it d

emed that a pause was impending, and Mr. Ormsby, an old hand, seized one of these critical instants to addre

like Eton?' as

terview of the morning, and which had received no reply; or rather had produced on his

not like Eton,' said Coningsby, briskly

msby, touched by a pensive reminiscence. 'One can get a

ill come some day and dine with me at the Christopher, I will

oked at him, bu

said Mr. Ormsby; 'after mutton, mutton, m

id Coningsby; 'Buckhurst had it sent up from his park.

by. 'Short commons, though. What do you think we did in my

me at breakfast,' said Coningsby,

Monmouth, in a tone of some interest, and for t

sir, a Berkshire man: Sh

Eskdale,' said Lord Monmouth; 'I

w, and had nothing but da

no Reform Bill for Eton,'

nts had n

Mr. Rigby, 'we must ask permiss

ied. 'Madame Colonna, you will, I am

House of Commons here! England would be the greatest country in the worl

kdale; 'Lord Monmouth and I have still t

on,' said Rigby, 'by whic

y's combination,'

his country,' said Rigby, 'is a

Monmouth; 'I believe it might all be done for two or three hundred thousand p

are in,' said Rigby, 'a

peers,' said Lord Eskdale. 'They say ther

large estate; another, because he has none; one, because he has a well-grown family to pe

is cabinet,' said Lord Monmo

ease the city,' said Lord Eskdale. 'I suppose they will pick out of he

ere never so complica

d Lucian Gay; 'one party wishes to keep their old