162 HORATIO SPARKINS. 



" every description of goods/' as the proprietors said and they 

 must know best " fifty per cent, under cost price." 



" La ! ma', what a place you have brought us to !" said Miss Teresa j 

 " what would Mr. Sparkins say if he could see us !" 



" Ah ! what, indeed !" said Miss Marianne, horrified at the idea. 



" Pray be seated, ladies. What is the first article ?" inquired the 

 obsequious master of the ceremonies of the establishment, who, in his 

 large white neckcloth and formal tie, looked like a bad " portrait of 

 a gentleman" in the Somerset-house exhibition. 



te I want to see some silks," answered Mrs, Malderton. 



" Directly, ma'am. Mr. Smith. Where is Mr. Smith ?" 



" Here, sir," cried a voice at the back of the shop. 



" Pray make haste, Mr. Smith," said the M. C. " You never are 

 to be found when you're wanted, sir/' 



Mr. Smith thus enjoined to use all possible despatch, leaped over 

 the counter with great agility, and placed himself before the newly- 

 arrived customers. Mrs. Malderton uttered a faint scream; Miss 

 Teresa, who had been stooping down to talk to her sister, raised her 

 head, and beheld Horatio Sparkins ! 



" We will draw a veil," as novel writers say, over the scene that 

 ensued. The mysterious, philosophical, romantic, metaphysical 

 Sparkins he who, to the interesting Teresa, seemed like the embodied 

 idea of the young dukes and poetical exquisites in blue silk dressing- 

 gowns, and ditto ditto slippers, of whom she had read and dreamt, 

 but had never expected to behold was suddenly converted into Mr. 

 Samuel Smith, the assistant at a " cheap shop ;" the junior partner in 

 a slippery firm of some three weeks' existence. The dignified evan- 

 ishment of the hero of Oak Lodge on this unexpected announcement 

 could only be equalled by that of a furtive dog with a considerable 

 kettle at his tail. All the hopes of the Maldertons were destined 

 at once to melt away, like the lemon ices at a Company's dinner ; 

 Almacks was still to them as distant as the North Pole : and Miss 

 Teresa had about as much chance of a husband as Captain Ross had 

 of the north-west passage. 



Years have elapsed since the occurrence of this dreadful morning. 

 The daisies have thrice bloomed on Camberwell-green the sparrows 

 have thrice repeated their vernal chirps in Camberwell-grove ; but the 

 Miss Maldertons are still unmated. Miss Teresa's case is more despe- 

 rate than ever ; but Flamwell is yet in the zenith of his reputation, 

 and the family have the same predilection for aristocratic personages, 

 with an increased aversion to any thing low. 



