HORATIO SPAUKINS. 153 



The family were ambitious of forming acquaintances and connexions in 

 some sphere of society superior to that in which they themselves moved; 

 and one of the necessary consequences of this desire, added to their 

 utter ignorance of the world beyond their own small circle, was that 

 any one, who could plausibly lay claim to an acquaintance with peo- 

 ple of rank and title, had a sure passport to the table at Oak-Lodge, 

 Camberwell. 



The appearance of Mr. Horatio Sparkins at the City assembly had 

 excited no small degree of surprise and curiosity among its regular 

 frequenters. Who could he be ? He was evidently reserved, and 

 apparently melancholy. Was he a clergyman ? He danced too well. 

 A barrister ! he was not called. He used very fine words, and said 

 a great deal. Could he be a distinguished foreigner come to Eng- 

 land for the purpose of describing the country, its manners and cus- 

 toms ; and frequenting City balls and public dinners, with the view 

 of becoming acquainted with high life, polished etiquette, and Eng- 

 lish refinement ? No, he had not a foreign accent. Was he a sur- 

 geon, a contributor to the magazines, a writer of fashionable novels, 

 or an artist ? No ; to each and all of these surmises there existed 

 some valid objection. " Then," said every body, " he must be some- 

 body," " I should think he must be," reasoned Mr. Malderton, with 

 himself, " because he perceives our superiority and pays us so much 

 attention." 



The night succeeding the conversation we have just recorded was 

 " assembly night." The double-fly was ordered to be at the door of 

 Oak-Lodge at nine o'clock precisely. The Miss Maldertons were 

 dressed in sky-blue satin, trimmed with artificial flowers ; and Mrs. M. 

 (who was a little fat woman), in ditto ditto, looked like her eldest 

 daughter multiplied by two. Mr. Frederick Malderton the eldest 

 son, in full-dress costume, was the very beau -ideal of a smart waiter ; 

 and Mr. Thomas Malderton, the youngest, with his white dress-stock, 

 blue coat, bright buttons, and red watch-ribbon, strongly resembled 

 the portrait of that interesting though somewhat rash young gentle- 

 man, George Barnwell. Every member of the party had made up 

 his or her mind to cultivate the acquaintance of Mr. Horatio Spar- 

 kins. Miss Teresa of course was to be as amiable and interesting as 

 ladies of eight-and-twenty on the look out for a husband usually are ; 

 Mrs. Malderton would be all smiles and graces; Miss Marianne 

 would request the favour of some verses for her album ; Mr. Mal- 

 derton would patronize the great unknown by asking him to 

 dinner ; and Tom intended to ascertain the extent of his informa- 

 mation on the interesting topics of snuff and cigars. Even Mr. Fre- 

 derick Malderton himself, the family authority on all points of taste, 

 dress, and fashionable arrangement who had lodgings of his own at 

 " the west end," who had a free admission for Covent-Garden theatre, 

 who always dressed according to the fashions of the month, who went 

 up the water twice a week in the season, and who actually had an 

 intimate friend who once knew a gentleman who formerly lived in 

 the Albany, even he had determined that Mr. Horatio Sparkins 

 must be a devilish good fellow, and that he would do him the honour 

 of challenging him to a game of billiards. 



The first object that met the anxious eyes of the expectant family, 



M. M. No. 98. X 



