Year: 1868

society, and little thought when | join


ed Mrs. Green's circle that / should


meet with so celebrated an author


Mr.. Raven bowed, and replied careless.


ly, "The only credit / can claim is per-


haps a little more originality than some


other authors possess, but then ] have


had advantages in a familiarity with


society in all its grades, which does not


am aware, fall to the lot of every one;


but, Miss Linley, l shall only be toe


happy to further your wish ofbecoming


acquainted with some of your favorite


writers by personal introduction. Oh


course we all know one another. / am


going tonight to dine with Sir Lytton


Bulwer, and, but that is to be bach


elors' party, am so at home there that


l would take upon myself to persuade


Mrs. Bedford and yourself to accompa-


ny me-" My heart bounded at the idea;


l felt almost in the seventh heaven.


Would the ambition of my life be one


day realized? Should / ever have the


good fortune to be in the same room


with Sir Lytton Bulwer, of hearing him
speak, of watching his conversational


powers7 / could not sufficiently ex-
press my gratitude to Mr.. Raven, who


reiterated his promise of taking the
earliest opportunity of forwarding my


wishes, ! went to bed that night su-
premely happy, more than ever charm
ed with.our intellectual and agreeable


visitor The next day a circumstance
occurred which somewhat startled me.
Mrs. Bedford was going to do little
shopping in Westbourne Grove, and in
vited me to accompany her. On our
way felt convinced / saw Mr. Raven
in front of us, and pointed him out to
my companion, suggesting that we
should hasten on, that might over
take him, to ask where l could procure
book he had recommended me to
read the previous evening. We gain
ed on him, and just as we were almost
within speaking distance, the gentle
man we followed turned his head. Had
] been mistaken? Was it or was it not
himself? l was perplexed beyond
measure. No! but it was some one so
exactly his ditto that ! felt confused as
l met his unreturned glance, There
was one difference, however, which con-
vinced me of my error: this person
wore much more hair than Mr.. Raven;
mustache and whiskers, too, were dark
er, yet in other respects the resemblance
was astonishing, "Did you ever see
such a likenessl" ! asked Mrs. Bedford.
''Do you think so?" replied that lady;
perhaps little in figure, but not when
you come close to HIM"


l was little in advance of my COM
panion and took advantage of being SO
to run and get another view of the
stranger as we passed him, so struck
was by the likeness. As looked
round be was close to her, aud as she
encountered him l distinctly saw him
slip into her hand piece ofpaper,
which, without taking any notice, she
conveyed to her pocket. | felt annoy
ed; if Mrs. Bedford knew the gentle
man why had she not stopped to speak
to him, or mentioned it when had
compared him to Mr.. Raven? She,
however, took no notice, entering at
once into animated conversation, evil
IDENTIFY thinking | had not been so OBJ
servant. We soon commenced our bus
mess and entered shop, where Mrs.
Bedford made considerable purchases,
and, exhausting the contents of her.
purse, she borrowed a sovereign from
mine, after which we pursued our walk
and returned home.


That evening again brought Mr.. Ra-
ven to tea, and | rallied him on his
double. He smiled, and said he should
like to see him. asked why? "Be-
cause" he replied, 81 might then be
able to more readily follow the advice
| listened to in last Sundays sermon,
namely,-'know thyself' | could not
help laughing at this idea, when he ad-
ded: "Perhaps Miss Linley will do me
the honor to take turn with me in the
Grove tomorrow, when I hope we may
again meet this gentleman, and then
you can compare our physiognomies."


The Bedfords had now been just FIVE
weeks at Mrs. Green's when Mrs. Bed
ford took a severe cold, and kept her
room for a few days. All this time her
husbands devotion was extreme, and
we saw little of him during her illness,
except at meals. On one occasion
met him on the staircase, carrying down
a huge packet, for which the parcels
delivery cart was waiting at the door.
stopped him to ask after his wife
He hesitated; then said she was better,
and he had been trying to persuade her
to come down that evening to dinner,
as he said cit was so weakening always
to remain in bed" Accordingly at six
o'clock Mrs. Bedford made her appear
ance looking pale, and enveloped in a
large cashmere shawl. Her husband
was very careful that she only should
take what was most suitable for an in
valid. We were in the middle of the
second course when we were all startled !
by prolonged peal at the bell, such a
ring as always betokens some one or
Of Importance. The maid,
who was waiting nearly dropped the
dish she was handing round, and de-
posting it on the table, hurried to the