Lights and Shadows of London Life. 177 



than the Pindaric. We take warning- from this DANGEROUS experi- 

 ment. 



The day passed, and once again an eight o'clock dinner assembled 

 the morning party. The repast was upon the principle of all such 

 at the fashionable taverns in the west, that is to say, in the affair of 

 the esculents, supportable, and where the price of the wine is in- 

 tended to represent the quality. 



The maddened strain of Pasta's Medea, and the tender melody of 

 Caradori's Creusa had died away, as humming that gentlest of all 

 gentle airs "^/&sz'caro," : ChaIcroft ascended from the pit in the interval 

 between opera and ballet. An arm passed through his, and a voice 

 which announced the young warrior of the Blues enquired, " Have 

 you any engagement for the rest of the evening ? if not, come and I 

 will introduce you to that, for which the Sybarite might languish." 

 In a box upon the second tier, whose occupants were two elegantly 

 appointed women, the presentation was effected. Masaniello, all 

 light, grace, and fascination terminated, a carriage, whose studied 

 simplicity was the consequence of a more lavish expense than the 

 most gorgeous decoration, stood in readiness at the Waterloo -place- 

 end of Charles-street; the parti quarre entered, and at the word 

 " Chesterfield-street" glanced on their meteor way. 



The house at which it drew up was small, but recherche almost to 

 a fault ; the balconies rivalled in beauty of foliage the Italian grove, 

 and the apartment into which they entered, seemed, in the flowery 

 fragrance of its atmosphere, as though newly spread for the feast of 

 roses. It was lighted by two small silver lamps placed upon a table, 

 on which were fruits, ices, wines, and their accompaniments, a most 

 unpretending meal, but as faultless in its fashioning as the magic 

 suppers of the Trianon. 



So subdued was the lighting of the chamber, that not for some 

 moments was the discovery made that it was already occupied. 

 Almost hidden in the recess of an easy chair reclined the form of a 

 female, enveloped in the folds of an ample Cachmere. She had been 

 reading ; the book with which she had been occupied lay upon her 

 lap. The attitude was one of exceeding grace, but not such as the 

 eye loves to rest upon ; it needed no second glance to feel that the 

 posture was not that which meditation assumes when its visions are 

 of peace. 



"Truant," exclaimed the dame, whose manner indicated the hostess 

 of the mansion, "we waited for you till nine, and then went in de- 

 spair, but this is kind ; how long have you been here?" 



"I can hardly tell you," was the reply in a gentle accent, "the 

 evening was so lovely that I walked in the park till my servant 

 reminded me of the hour. It was then too late to go to you, so I pro- 

 longed my solitary pilgrimage, and now I am going; I am not quite 

 strong enough yet to encounter late hours, you will lend me your 

 carriage." She rose from her seat as he spoke, and the languor of 

 the action too plainly evinced that the plea of debility was not idly 

 urged. From the instant he first beheld her, the stranger had deeply 

 attracted the observation of Chalcroft ; almost in anticipation 

 of an intimation from the hostess, he had assisted in adjusting 



FEB. 1837. N 



