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"I am sure so do I," said Agatha. "A capital idea, mamma! I wish you would set it going," added Maria.

all disturbed by the approach of two or fought to be some means of dividing them a three men employed in putting up an awn-little into classes." ing. "Take care of your head," cried one of the plainly dressed young strangers, addressing Miss Roberts, who profited by the warning without acknowledging it, and in a few minutes the awning was arranged, and the party restored to the quiet possession of their seats.

The young man obeyed, and the tall footman again made his appearance.

"You must contrive to get us more footstools, Stephen," said his mistress, with sufficient distinctness to have been heard almost from the helm to the head of the vessel.

"My dear Edward," said Mrs. Roberts, bending forward across the space, which divided the seat she occupied from that on which her son was gracefully lounging along "What a comfort!" exclaimed the same a space that might have accommodated young lady, addressing Miss Roberts, look-three, "I am excessively sorry to disturb ing, as she did so, too full of youth and en-you; for, happy creature, you really look joyment to be aware of the immense liberty as if you were going to sleep, and upon my she was taking with a young lady so ele- word, under some circumstances, that is gantly dressed as to be much more fit for a the best thing one can do. But I really drive in the park than a voyage on the must trouble you to call Stephen here." Thames. But whatever sensations of happiness Miss Roberts might feel, they were not of a nature so completely to overcome all her preconceived notions of what she owed to herself, as to induce her to reply in any way to the unauthorized familiarity of her neighbour, neither did she turn her eyes towards her, but looking straightfor"I don't think I can get any more, "for I have seen ward, exchanged a glance with her mam- ma'am," said the man; ma, which very eloquently expressed all every one that was laid up in the heap carthe annoyance she experienced at being ex-ried away." posed to a liberty so every way unauthor- The young offender on the opposite bench immediately withdrew her feet, at "This will never do," said Mrs. Robthe same time pushing forward the footerts, knitting her brows, and shaking her stool, and making a slight action with her head with a look of mingled alarm and in-head, as she looked at the servant, to indidignation. "Mr. Roberts," she added, "I cate that he was at liberty to remove it. must really beg you to change places with The man did so, and placed it beneath the my daughters, I can easily make room for feet of Miss Agatha. them both, and," lowering her voice a very little, "it will be quite a different thing if you and Edward are attacked.".

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"You must contrive to find another, Ste

phen," resumed Mrs. Roberts, in her most decisive tone. "Miss Maria cannot sit without a footstool."

The proposed change was instantly made, The two young girls who had innocently and the young ladies placed themselves one been the cause of all this trouble, were at each side of their mamma, with the hap- either unconscious that their dresses conpy look of recovered security, which an cealed the wished-for accommodation, or escape from danger naturally inspires. But thought that they had better not intrude the young ladies, in their hurry to escape any further civility upon their elegant felfrom the freedom of manner which had so low-travellers. Perhaps they began to feel greatly annoyed them, had left their foot- not quite at their ease, for the beaming gaystools behind, and one of the cotton-robed ety of their bright young faces seemed a young ladies, though with a very innocent little overcast, and instead of continuing to and unconscious look, almost immediately converse together concerning the fortunate placed a foot upon one of them: Mrs. Rob-finennss of the weather and the like, they erts seemed greatly agitated. both seemed occupied in looking about the

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I really do wish," she said with every deck, as if in search of some one they exappearance of being deeply in earnest, "Ipected to see there. Nor did they, as it really do wish that they would make the seemed, look in vain; for in the next mosteamboats on a different plan. The divi-ment, they both sprung up together and sion between deck and cabin passengers is darted away to meet a gentleman, who from by no means sufficient. Now, that all sorts his age, and the manner in which he smiland kinds of people go abroad, there really ingly received one under each arm, pro

claimed himself unmistakably to be their father. The very instant that their removal restored the coveted footstool to sight, Mrs. Roberts extended her own hand to seize upon it, exclaiming as she did so, How extremely disagreeable it is to meet with underbred people!"

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from the observations which fell from them in reply, that they one and all fully appreciated the justness of her reasoning.

"It was a capital good thought of yours, my dear," said Mr. Roberts; "I am sure it would never have come into my head, if I had studied where to get an introduction, for a hundred years."

"Well, thank God!" she said, after having listened to them all in turn, “I don't believe I have any fools to deal with amongst you, and that is an immense comThis sentiment was very cordially echoed fort when there is an important object in by her daughters, upon which Mrs. Rob- view. In fact, I know that we all think erts took occasion to observe that in the and feel pretty much alike as to the mannew mode of life which was now opening ner in which we should choose to go on, before them, they would find it highly ne- but as to the means, I know perfectly well cessary to assume and sustain a tone of that you must trust to me—and I am happy manners differing very essentially from what to say that you may do this safely, for dewas either necessary or desirable at home.pend upon it, I shall forget nothing. That "And the reason for this," she contin- letter now, for instance, to the embassyued, "is very obvious; while people re- who but I would ever have thought of makmain in their own country, every body ing use of our good apothecary in such a about them knows who and what they are, business? But I will bet you what you and there is neither good nor harm to be please that we shall find Lady Carlton's letgot by letting all that sort of thing take its ter quite as effectual as if she had written course but it is plain to see that when it to please the first duke in the land? travelling abroad, a very different line of Don't I know that an apothecary, as clever conduct becomes necessary. It is most as Tomlinson is with children, may get probable, you know, that every body we what he likes from the parents, if he does meet will be strangers to us, and I should but know how to ask for it?" like to know how they are to find out that we are something above the common herd, unless we take care to make them feel it and know it by a little dignity and high spirit in our manner of going on? This must of course be equally necessary towards foreigners and English, and I beg to observe to you all, that it must never be lost sight of. I am quite certain that we are now in a situation to choose our own position in society, and this, it is very certain, that we never were before. Every body, you know, says that one pound on the continent will go as far as five in England, and we therefore have quite enough to place us in the very highest society, if we take care to conduct ourselves properly. Nor is this, I beg to observe, the only reason why it is necessary to behave, so as to give ourselves consequence in the eyes of those around us. Though a great many people of fashion come abroad, it is only too certain that a great many others come also, and just think what a business we should make of it, if, instead of keeping amongst the very highest set, as I hope and intend, we should any of us run up an intimacy with a parcel of people actually inferior, perhaps, to any that we should choose to speak to at home!"

The whole party, father, daughters, and son, listened to this harangue with the most earnest attention, and it was very evident

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'Certainly, mamma understands all that sort of thing better than any one I ever heard of,” said Agatha.

"I do not think we shall run much risk in trusting to her," observed Maria.

"Upon my soul, you are first rate, ma'am," added Mr. Edward, as he reconnoitered through a glass the different groups that occupied the deck; "but do you think, ma'am, there would be any indecorum in our moving about a little? I think we look rather musty-fusty sitting here altogether, as if we were afraid of all the people."

"Afraid of them in one sense, my dear Edward, it is very necessary we should be, as you must have perceived yourself since we came on board; but that is no reason why we should not walk about, if we like it. We can take care of ourselves, you know, whether we move, or remain stationary. I have no wish to make any of you timid, quite the contrary. If you will give me your arm, Mr. Roberts, I will take a turn or two upon the deck; but you must call Stephen here first, Edward, that he may take charge of the foot-stools till we sit down again."

something in the appearance of the two gentlemen who were now the companions of their obnoxious fellow-passengers which led her to doubt whether, notwithstanding their "horribly common gowns," they might not be very different sort of people from what she had first supposed.

"Mamma-mamma," she whispered, at the same time restraining her mother's steps by a little gentle violence. "Don't go on in that way till you know what sort of people they are. Just look at the gentlemen who are with them."

As there was nobody else on board who appeared to be attended by a tall footman in a blazing livery, the young man felt that his appearance among them, gave a considerable degree of distinction to the party, and this consideration was fully sufficient to reconcile him to this third mission in pursuit of Stephen, and once again the Jong-backed serving-man bent very literally to the ladies' foot-stools, and having dutifully withdrawn them, desired to know if he was to follow them to the place they were next going to occupy. Mrs. Roberts raised her eyes to the man as he asked the Mrs. Roberts did look at the gentlemen, question, and he looked at once so very and her state of mind underwent an immestately and so very obsequious, with the diate change. She returned the pressure three footstools in his hands, that for a mo- of the arm which had seized upon hers, in ment she was strongly tempted to answer token that she comprehended what the in the affirmative; but recollecting that pressure meant, and returned the whisper the purpose of their moving was to prome- by saying in the same tone, or one lower nade the deck, and not merely to change their places, it occurred to her that the being so followed might look odd, and she therefore contented herself by pointing out a conspicuous place just below the quarterdeck, where he might deposit them, charging him at the same time to keep a strict watch over them, and not to permit their being removed by any one.

still,

"Never mind-I will set it all right again. The girls seemed vastly inclined to be sociable."

And then taking a step back, she pointed out some object on the bank of the river to Maria and her brother, and having led them to the side of the vessel, said,

"I suspect we were wrong about those shabby-looking girls-look at the men they have got with them. Follow me, and behave just as I do, that's all."

She then pursued her way to the seat they had previously occupied, and having reached it, seemed suddenly to perceive for the first time that it was fully occupied. The youngest of the two girls now seated there looked a little frightened, and exchanging a glance with her sister, made a movement as if she was about to rise.

"Not for the world, my dear young lady," exclaimed Mrs. Roberts, with a courteous smile. "But I am afraid you will not find that high seat comfortable without footstools."

The party then set off, the father and mother in front, and the son and daughters following; but although thus divided, they contrived to converse together, exchanging many keen and clever observations upon their fellow-passengers, the nature of which might be guessed at, perhaps, by the frequent laughter of the party, although all they said to each other was very decorously uttered to each other in whispers. Having thus amused themselves for about half-anhour, the ladies declared their wish of sitting down again, but as they approached the places they had before occupied, they perceived, to their extreme surprise and indignation, that they were occupied by the very identical cotton-dresses which had And stepping briskly back towards the already proved so particularly distasteful. place where her servant was still keeping Mrs. Roberts never felt annoyed without guard over the monopolized treasures, she blaming somebody, and now, of course, she made a sign to him to advance, and then felt exceedingly angry with those very pre- with her own hands placed two of the stools sumptuous young people; she knew, how- he brought beneath the feet of the two ever, perfectly well (for a river steamboat young girls. This was done with a smile was no new scene to her) that she had no of such gay good humour that it was imposright, though she was Mrs. Roberts, to re-sible not to receive it graciously, and conclaim the seat, and she therefore contented sidering the texture of their dresses, the herself by preparing to brush past it, with two young ladies acquitted themselves very the words, "bore," "public conveyances," well, the eldest assisting in the operation, and "vulgar people," on her lips. But with the exclamation, "Indeed, ma'am, you the sharp eyes of Miss Maria descried are too kind!" and the youngest repaying

her with the same bright smile, the familiarity of which had given such great offence when expressing her approbation of the awning. But the reward which Mrs. Roberts anticipated and received was from the gentlemen of the party, who both immediately rose, and offered their places to the civil lady and her daughters. Mrs. Roberts immediately sat down, nodding to her children, and waving them off to the opposite bench, saying with much earnestness to the elder of the two gentlemen, who was, as she divined, the father of the younger, as well as of the cotton-gowns, Pray, do not let us disturb you, sir."

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men they met ; but this they had not learned, and the consequence was now, as it had often been before, and as it was likely often to be again, that the young man who had speedily entered into conversation with them, as speedily got tired, and after listening with smiling attention first to one, and then to the other, as they laboured to set themselves off in a variety of ways, he at length got up, and proposed to his father that they should walk to the head of the ship to look out for what they were to look out for his father did not wait to hear

for he, too, had been almost overwhelmed by the obliging efforts of Mrs. Roberts to enchant him; and telling his daughters that he would come back to them soon, he took his son's arm, and walked off.

The two Miss Robertses were really pretty looking girls, and the young man, whose place their mother had taken, seemed perfectly willing to content him- It boots not to relate all the strenuous efself with the accommodation offered by the forts made by Mrs Roberts to obliterate from seat against the side of the vessel, on which the memory of the two young ladies who they and their brother had placed them- were left seated beside her, all recollection selves-Mr. Roberts having wandered of her former demeanour towards them. away in search of the gentlemen's cabin, and a newspaper.

Suffice it to say, that, like some generals, more able than successful, she piqued herself as much upon the skill with which she could perform a backward movement whenever she happened to get into a scrape,

It is always to be lamented when prettylooking girls give themselves airs, and grow disagreeable, only because they know themselves to be charming. However trivial as upon the spirited boldness with which and evanescent may be the gift of beauty to a deeply philosophic eye, it would be folly to deny that it is one of the good gifts of heaven, and when the possessor does not call upon it to do the work of all other good qualities, moral and intellectual, it is calculated, in ninety-nine instances out of a hundred, to concilitate good will from those who look upon it, whatever their age, sex, or condition. But in order to have its full effect, or anything like its full effect, it must be borne meekly, and the reason why the coquetry of women of highbreeding is more effective in all countries than that of beauties less accomplished, doubtless may be found in the fact that the last and highest polish conceals, if it does not absolutely destroy, pretension. A perfectly high-bred and well-educated woman charms by being elegant, not by exerting all her faculties to appear so; and in like manner a beautiful coquette of the same class is irresistible, because she endangers not the grace which is born of ease by struggling to appear something that she is

not.

If Agatha and Maria Roberts could have learned to "let themselves alone," they might have appeared in every drawingroom in Europe with almost a certainty of being more admired than one-half the wo

her manœuvres in advance were ever made. In the present case, however, she produced considerably less impression in both movements, than she would have been easily persuaded to believe possible; but, in fact, the two young people who had unintentionally attracted so much of her attention, were too giddily delighted, and too youthfully light-hearted, to know, or to care very much what these bustling strangers thought about them. Had they been obliged to pronouce an opinion concerning them, it would probably have been worded in the phrase," odd sort of people." But in truth they were forgotten even before they were lost sight of; for the terrible moment being arrived at which the peaceable river changed into the cruel sea, all hopes, fears, joys, sorrows, plots, and counterplots were alike forgotten by every female on board, and by the time the vessel reached Boulogne, the first and only thought of each was, how to get out of her as quickly as possible. To persons who, like the Roberts family, have just felt the mysterious malady of the sea for the first time, there is something equally astonishing and delightful in the sudden relief from their misery, which follows the very first contact of their feet with terra firma, and they all felt it in a degree

that made their first continental sensations [tercourse with the natives, but these were very delightful indeed. Their walk along the pier seemed to them all the most agreeable promenade they had ever enjoyed, and even the clamorous applications for their company with which they were greeted on the quay by the envoys of all the hotels in the town, produced more pleasure than an

noyance.

"I have always heard that the French people were the most intelligent in the world," observed Mrs. Roberts; " and how remarkable a proof of it is their having picked us out in this manner among such a motley crowd. Look here! I have had six cards from as many different hotels put into my hand already."

"And how in the world are we to choose among them, my dear?" inquired Mr. Ro berts. "I really should like to find nyself in a comfortable hotel with as little delay as possible. Have you made up your mind as to which card you like best?"

trifles by no means of sufficient importance to daunt such a spirit as that of Mrs. Roberts. During the domestic practising which had gone on for several weeks previous to their setting off, both her daughters, fresh from the grammatical discipline of a French teacher, had endeavoured to impress upon her the necessity of paying a little more attention both to verbs and genders, but her answer was characteristic and decisive. "My dear children, it is perfectly right and proper that you should study the grammar; it is a study properly befitting your years. All young people learn grammar; but scholars of my age must take a more enlarged and general view of the language. You know how steadily I have applied to reading dialogues and vocabularies, not to mention that I have transcribed whole columns from the dictionary, and I declare to you, girls, that I am often astonished at my own quickness in learning. I assure you that of late I hardly ever go into a shop without making use of French words without intending it. When I bought my last new bonnet I asked the woman, quite without thinking of it, to show me some bonnets de paille.'

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"Trust to me, Mr. Roberts," replied his wife, with her usual air of knowing perfectly well what she was about. "I certainly shall not be decided in my choice by the appearance of the cards. But we will follow that well-looking young man, if you please, in the green coat and silver buttons. "But bonnet means cap, mamma, in I perceive he speaks English perfectly. French," had been Miss Agatha's reply. Oui, monsieur, vous, oui, vous," she con- and, nonsense, child," her resolut tinued, speaking very loud to assist the in- mother's rejoinder. "When the niceties of telligence of the green-coated commission-grammar are required," she added, "all aire. "I don't mind about the English the rules I mean, and the exceptions, and myself, but it will be pleasant for you and Edward," she added, and then again addressing the man whom she had selected, she said, "It is votre hôtel you know that we are going to--and votre maître, I suppose, can tell us tout about our luggage and the do-do-What in the world is the name of a French custom-house, Agatha?" Douane, mamma," answered the young lady, whose recent French studies had gone considerably farther than her own; although Mrs. Roberts herself had not set out upon this important expedition without having very sedulously applied herself to the same study. "German and Italian," she had said, "I intend to learn when I get into the respective countries, but it is absolutely necessary to have a stock of French to set off with ."

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the rest of it, as in writing notes, for instance, of course I shall employ you and your sister, but in the matter of talking I don't expect to want your assistance at all. When there is anything to be said, I always feel as if I were inspired; words, thank God! never fail me, and I do believe I could soon talk in almost any language in the world except Greek and Latin." Such were the opinions and feelings of Mrs. Roberts on the subject of colloquial intercourse, and though uttered before this sketch of her adventures commences, it is as well to refer to it, in order to develop the system upon which she intended to proceed. Bet to return to the crowded spot on which we left her haranguing at Boulogne. Long before she could repeat the word douane after her daughter, the acHer stock of French however, did not complished commissiona re from the Hôtel perhaps comprise all the words in the lan-d'Angleterre had assured her, in very exguage, and it was also possible that both cellent English, that if she would be pleased genders and tenses might produce some to proceed to the hôtel they should have slight embarrassment in her colloquial in- their night bags in ten minutes, and the

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