1831.] The Sjcophani. 54o 



saw such indications of heat; ray dear sir, you ought not to venture out 

 without an umbrella.' 



" ' Bearfoot !' CoUingwood would exclaimj with a grave countenance, 

 ' I fear we shall have a change of administration — they are not content 

 in Old England with the way affairs are managed, nor, to tell you the 

 truth, am I over well satisfied.' 



" 'Who has so much penetration as you, my dear Sir ? — (for CoUing- 

 wood was high in office) — I only wish that there were such men — 

 (with emphasis) — as I could name, near the throne, and then, indeed, 

 we should be once more a great nation.' 



" ' Ah, Winterton, is that you }' Sir Thomas Greville would say, 

 slapping him on the shoulder, with a vigour which would throw the 

 generality of men into undisguised passion at such a familiarity, ' have 

 you heard the news, my boy — our friends in the administration over 

 the water, are firm — firm in their seats ; besides all rumour of change 

 has passed, and I am sure you are delighted at it.' 



'' ' Undoubtedly, my dear Sir Thomas — I am delighted — perfectly so. 

 Ah ! you always said how it would be — from first to last ! What would 

 I not give for your powers of discernment !' 



" We had often," continued Colonel Guildford, " jested, as I have 

 said, on the mean, sycophantish habits of this youth ; but on the night 

 of the day when the above conversations took place, I^ear foot joined our 

 party, we were, as gentlemen generally are after diiiner, more merry 

 than wise — and at supper managed to recapitulate our morning 

 dialogues. 



" ' Come,' said CoUingwood, laughing, ' you and I, Bearfoot, will 

 take a glass of this fine claret together, to the change we talked of this 

 morning.' 



" Winterton bit his lip, and coloured ; but anxious to avoid the subject, 

 filled a bumper immediately. 



" ' What change is that ?' inquired Sir Thomas, who of course was 

 in the secret, ' change of love — has Winterton been again fickle ?' 



" 'No, no, no!' vociferated CoUingwood, — ' it is the change, the happy 

 change, that either is to, or has taken place in our EngUsh adminis- 

 tration.' 



"' Winterton Bearfoot wiU never Uft glass in such a cause,' replied 

 the other ; ' he is a good man and true — true lipped and true hearted. 

 Why, it was only this morning that he assured me he was perfectly 

 delighted at the stability of our affairs, and congratulated me on my 

 powers of discernment.' 



" ' I'll not believe it,' retorted CoUingwood, ' it was viy penetration 

 he complimented, and who can compliment so well.' 



" The jest was carried on good-humouredly and gloriously, as we called 

 it, and the sycophant was, even in our estimation, sufficiently mortified. 

 The next morning his smiles, to our astonishment, were as bland as 

 ever ; but in the course of a month or so, CoUingwood was very coolly 

 received at the government house. For this there was no apparent way 

 of accounting, and we attributed it to the caprices of the great, the 

 intermitting fever of inconsistency. The same change, however, was 

 perceptible towards Sir Thomas Grenville, and all of our party, on 

 that evening, with the exception of Bearfoot, who had certainly bowed 

 himself into the good graces of the governor's lady, at last. I\Iany other 

 circumstances roused our suspicions, and at last we received information 

 UM. New .S'mV.v.— VoL.XII. N0.7I. ' 2 X 



