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 my tears, and to defeat a very natural tendency to suchlike female squeamishness, I began at once to prosecute the matter.

The Earl, my papa, was the earliest victim of this fanatical determination. Poor Anthony had not left the place an hour ere I repaired to the apartment of his lordship. The dear, good old gentleman was exactly in the posture that I had anticipated seeing him; to wit, he was propped up in cushions beside the fire, with divers cellarets of liquor at a little table ready to his hand, of which he was for the nonce utterly unheedful, having a nicer dissipation to enjoy. A handkerchief was spread across his face, and right lustily was he snoring, this being the hour of his post-prandial nap, a performance he undertook far more religiously than he ever did his prayers.

"Wake up, my dear," says I, for my eagerness was such that it would brook delay from none. Therefore I flicked away his lordship's handkerchief, and with my little finger did tickle tenderly his ancient chin.

"Go 'way, you flies!" he grunted, "and damn you!"

However, his nose being presently attacked, the old gentleman's annoyance grew so imperative that he shook his face, and was just about to fall into a great volubility of language, when his eyes came open, and the sight of me immediately curtailed it. For the politest man of his time was out of his chair bowing and apologising ere one might wink, ex