370 THK STEAM EXCURSION. 



" Oh ! not the slightest/' returned the young lady, in a tone which 

 clearly shewed she had the greatest possible objection. 



" Shall I accompany you, dear?" inquired one of the Miss Briggs's, 

 with the bland intention of spoiling the effect. 



" Very much obliged to you, Miss Briggs/' sharply retorted Mrs. 

 Taunton, who saw through the manoeuvre " my daughters always 

 sing without accompaniments." 



" And without voices," tittered Mrs. Briggs, in a low tone 



"Perhaps," said Mrs. Taunton, reddening, for she guessed the 

 tenor of the observation, though she had not heard it clearly. " Per- 

 haps it would be as well for some people, if their voices were not 

 quite as audible as they are to other people." 



" And perhaps, if gentlemen, who are kidnapped to pay attention to 

 some persons' daughters, had not sufficient discernment to pay atten- 

 tion to other persons' daughters," returned Mrs. Briggs, " some per- 

 sons would not be so ready to display that ill-temper, which, thank 

 God, distinguishes them from other persons." 



" Persons !" ejaculated Mrs. Taunton. 



"Yes; persons, ma'am," replied Mrs. Briggs. 



" Insolence !" 



" Creature !" 



" Hush ! hush !" interrupted Mr. Percy Noakes, who was one of 

 the very few by whom this dialogue had been overheard. " Hush ! 

 pray ; silence for the duet." 



After a great deal of preparatory crowing and humming, the Cap- 

 tain began the following duet from the opera of Paul and Virginia, in 

 that grunting tone in which a man gets down, Heaven knows where, 

 without the remotest chance of ever getting up again. This, in pri- 

 vate circles is frequently designated " a bass voice." 



"isee (sung the Captain) from o ce an ri sing 

 Bright flames the or b of d ay. 

 From yon gro ve, the varied so ngs " 



Here the singer was interrupted by varied cries of the most dreadful 

 description, proceeding from some grove in the immediate vicinity of 

 the starboard paddle-box. 



"My child!" screamed Mrs. Fleetwood. "My child! it is his 

 voice I know it." 



Mr. Fleetwood, accompanied by several gentlemen, here rushed to 

 the quarter from whence the noise proceeded, and an exclamation of 

 horror burst from the company ; the general impression being, that 

 the little innocent had either got his head in the water, or his legs in 

 the machinery. 



" What is the matter ?" shouted the agonized father, as he returned 

 with the child in his arms. 



" Oh ! oh ! oh !" screamed the small sufferer again. 



" What is the matter, dear ?" inquired the father, once more has- 

 tily stripping off the nankeen frock, for the purpose of ascertaining 

 whether the child had one bone which was not smashed to pieces. 



" Oh ! oh ! I'm so frightened." 



" What at, dear? what at?" said the mother, soothing the sweet 

 infant. 



