“My dear, who do you think has promised to come to-morrow night?”

“Who, my love?”

“Prince Fizzybelli!”

“You don’t say so?” screamed the lady with her delight.

“Yes, most faithfully promised.”

“What will the Feasibles say?” cried the lady;—­“but—­is he a real prince?”

“A real prince!  O yes, indeed is he! well known in Tartary.”

“Well, Dr Plausible, I have good news for you.  Here is a note from Mr H——­, in answer to yours, in which he promises you the loan of the wax figure from Germany, of a female in the first stage of par—­partu—­I can’t make out the word.”

“Excellent! most excellent!” cried the doctor, rubbing his hand; “now we shall do.”

Newton, who had some curiosity to see a conversazione, which to him was a terra incognita, did not fail to go at the appointed hour.  He was ushered upstairs into the drawing-room, at the door of which he was received by Mrs Plausible, in blue and silver.  The rooms not being very large, were extremely crowded, and Newton at one moment found himself jammed against some curiosity, and at another treading on the toes or heels of people, who accepted his apologies, looking daggers, and with a snarling “don’t mention it.”

But a thundering knock at the door was followed by the announcement of His Highness Prince Fizzybelli—­Prince Fizzybelli at the door—­Prince Fizzybelli coming up—­Prince Fizzybelli (enters).

Had it been permitted, Dr Plausible would have received his guest with a flourish of trumpets, as great men are upon the stage, without which it is impossible now-a-days to know a great man from a little one.  However, the hired attendants did their duty, and the name of Fizzybelli was fizzed about the room in every direction.  Dr Plausible trod on the corns of old Lady G------, upset Miss Periwinkle, and nearly knocked down a French savant, in his struggle to obtain the door to receive his honoured guest, who made a bow, looked at the crowd—­looked at the chandelier—­looked at his watch, and looked very tired in the course of five minutes, when Prince Fizzybelli ordered his carriage, and was off.

Newton, who had examined several very strange things which occupied the tables about the room, at last made his way to the ante-room, where the crowd was much more dense than elsewhere.  Taking it for granted that there was something interesting to be seen, he persevered until he had forced his way to the centre, when what was his astonishment when he beheld under a long glass-case a figure of a woman modelled in wax, of exact and certainly of beautiful proportion!  It was as large as life, and in a state of perfect nudity.  The face lifted up, and discovered the muscles beneath; in fact, every part of the image could be removed, and presented to the curious every part of the human frame, modelled exact, and coloured.  Newton was indeed astonished: