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304 The poor present time, how it is calumniated! degenerate, immoral, irreligious, are its best epithets; and we talk of the good old time till we really believe it existed." "Even," observed Mr. Delawarr, "as we eulogise the peace and innocence of a country life; for the peace of the parish, apply to the rector on the tithe day—for its innocence, to the justice of the peace." "But do you not think," asked Lorraine, "that these ideal excellencies have their origin in our nature's better part? The first step either to goodness or happiness is to believe in their existence." "We shall lose the fireworks if we sit talking here," said Lord Merton.

Even Lady Alicia was startled out of her passiveness by this announcement; and the whole party hurried towards the piece of water, by whose side the exhibition was to take place. Lord Merton still kept his place at Emily's side, and narrated to her divers of his juvenile feats with gunpowder; and he was one, as we have said, to whom not talking was listening. It was a magnificent display of the most magnificent of elements: the rocket swept through the air like a spirit, and the skies seemed to