260 Extracts from the Note-Book of Gregory Greathead, Esq. 



ran away (by my assistance and advice) with Miss M , the great 



Wiltshire heiress, and made his for 



"Her father's hank failed last month, did it not?'' asked my 

 mother, " the great Baulkington estate is for sale, I see in this paper." 



"Ah yes, sad thing, every thing gone. I saw poor Harry in town 

 three days ago, looking like a ghost; I called to him, but he only 

 smiled grimly, shook his empty purse at me, and walked on. I did 

 hear he was in the rules. Well, then comes Sam Trimwell, whose 

 talents got him returned to parliament" 



"Was not that about the time his father bought the estate and 

 borough of Little Smugglesby ?'' 



" Yes, yes, probably. By the bye, Sam sent me his speech on the 

 Peddlesworth road-bill, twelve written pages. Now, strangely 

 enough, the papers one and all omitted it entirely, in their notice of 

 that debate. The * Courier' merely says the Bill was 'agreed to,' and 

 the ' Standard' talks of ' a desultory conversation of no importance or 

 interest.' Odd ideas of importance and interest have these gentle- 

 men of the press! Well, Mrs. G., another of my old friend's pupils 

 was Bob 



"Enough, enough, my dear," said my mother, with a benevolent 

 smile. "Six such instances as you have so happily quoted, besides 

 one which you are too modest to mention, are quite sufficient to es- 

 tablish Mr. Oldstyle's fame. Gregory can go next week." 



Accordingly, on that very day week, a large trunk lettered G. G. 

 and a little boy (wnlettered) were deposited at the gate of Trainem- 

 well House Academy, the former to be delivered to the present care 

 of the mistress, the latter to that of the master of the mansion. Now, 

 though my excellent mother had so peaceably yielded the point in 

 dispute, her own private opinion respecting my future preceptor, 

 may be gathered from the following somewhat unusual letter of in- 

 troduction which I took from my pocket (cousiderably crushed and 

 crumpled), and presented with a confident air, and my mother's com- 

 pliments, to that worthy man himself. First, however, let me be 

 permitted to hint that Mr. Oldstyle was a man who had seen some 

 sixty summers, and of course the proportionate allowance of winters ; 

 the latter seasons having apparently, as poets say, 'shed their snows 7 

 pretty liberally upon his head. His countenance had been very hand- 

 some, and the profile, especially the upper portion of it, displayed a 

 remarkably fine outline and expression. One slight peculiarity which 

 immediately attracted my notice, was a small but deep dent on the bridge 

 of the nose, just below the eyes, which appeared to have been either 

 formed by nature for, or actually worn by the spectacles which never 

 left his brow. With Mr. Oldstyle's mental endowments it will be here- 

 after my pleasing duty to make the reader acquainted : it will be per- 

 haps sufficient to mention, that on the present occasion Mr. O.'s outward 

 man was cased in such habiliments as the following : A black broad- 

 skirted coat of the workmanship of neither Stulz nor Nugee, con- 

 taining pockets in whose almost unfathomable depths he was wont to 

 deposit, during the current week, all stray articles and confiscated 

 toys, until a general gaol- delivery on Saturday reduced them to a 



