1831.] Too Early. 619 



ingly brought him in the most approved eating-house style. But the 

 first mouthful was quite sufficient to enable him to make up his mind as 

 to the merits of the place ; and as chloruret of lime had not at that time 

 come into fashion, he had no remedy for it but to leave the provender 

 that had been set before him, in spite of the keenness of his appetite. 



When he called the waiter to know what he liad to pay, the latter 

 gravely remarked, — " I am afraid, sir, that you have not enjoyed your 

 dinner." 



" No," replied Purvis, " that I certainly have not ; it requires a 

 pretty strong stomach to enjoy meat that is tainted." 



" Ah, sir," returned the waiter, " there is no getting meat to keep 

 this hot weather longer than one day. But, after all, what can gentle- 

 men expect if they will come too early for the hot joints ?" 



Poor Purvis thought that Monsieur Tonson was come again, and not 

 choosing, after three rebukes of the same nature in the same day, to 

 attempt to retaliate, he moved off, as soon as he had discharged his reckon- 

 ing, without uttering a syllable, and took refuge in a pastrycook's-shop, 

 for the purpose of allaying his hunger, wisely assuming that, as he saw 

 all the tarts, and buns, and jellies ready displayed in the window, he 

 should not be too early, this time at least, in venturing to make an attack 

 upon them. 



On his again reaching his Lad-lane inn, he found that Lord Spanker 

 had done the civil thing by sending him a note, lamenting that he should 

 not have been up when honoured by his call in the morning, and request- 

 ing the favour of his company to a teie-a-tete dinner that day, as an 

 amende. The note ended with an apology for fixing so early an hour 

 as five for dinner, but attributed it to the circumstance that a division 

 was expected that evening in the Lords, at which it was absolutely 

 necessary for his lordship to be present, as the ministerial tactics rested 

 on so nice a point that a prepai'ed proxy would not do. 



Purvis, who thought that he was beginning to grow Avise on the 

 point of being too early, had some misgivings as to the proper minute 

 for him to again present himself at his lordship's house. Of all things 

 in the world, he was least desirous of being too early, after the lesson 

 that he had received there that morning ; but then, on the other hand, 

 he felt how cruel it would be for him to detain his lordship a moment 

 by being too late, when the affairs of the nation actually required his 

 presence in Parliament. After duly weighing the pro and con with the 

 best judgment that he was able to give to the subject, he resolved to 

 reach Portman-square precisely at a quarter to five, by which he thought 

 that he should be adopting that judicious medium which would be most 

 acceptable to his noble friend, and which would best redound to his own 

 character for discrimination. 



At a quarter to five, therefore, he punctually executed his rap with 

 the knocker ; and whatever sensations the footman (who happened to 

 be the same as in the morning) might have had on seeing him present 

 himself, ready for dinner, at that hour, he took especial care to conceal 

 them during the time that he was ushering the guest into his lordship's 

 library. 



The room was vacant. " My lord," quoth the valet, " has not come 

 home yet, sir ; but we expect him every minute ; and I will acquaint 

 him witii your arrival." 



" Not come liome !" repeated Purvis to himself. " Egad, I am afraid 



