We believe there is nothing frightens a woman so much as staring at her through spectacles.  A barrister in barnacles is a far more formidable cross-examiner than one without.  But, to his lordship’s back.

‘Will he eat bread out of your hand?’ asked Amelia, adding, ’I should so like a horse that would eat bread out of my hand.’

‘Oh yes; or cheese either,’ replied his lordship, who was a bit of a wag, and as likely to try a horse with one as the other.

‘Oh, how delightful! what a charming horse!’ exclaimed Amelia, turning her fine eyes up to the ceiling.

‘Are you fond of horses?’ asked his lordship, smacking one hand against the other, making a noise like the report of a pistol.

‘Oh, so fond!’ exclaimed Amelia, with a start; for she hadn’t got through her favourite, and, as she thought, most attractive attitude.

‘Well, now, that’s nice,’ said his lordship, giving his other hand a similar bang, adding, ‘I like a woman that’s fond of horses.’

’Then ’Melia and you’ll ‘gree nicely,’ observed Mrs. Jawleyford, who was always ready to give a helping hand to her own daughters, at least.

‘I don’t doubt it!’ replied his lordship, with emphasis, and a third bang of his hand, louder if possible than before.  ‘And do you like horses?’ asked his lordship, darting sharply round on Emily, who had been yielding, or rather submitting, to the precedence of her sister.

‘Oh yes; and hounds, too!’ replied she eagerly.

‘And hounds, too!’ exclaimed his lordship, with a start, and another hearty bang of the fist, adding, ‘well, now, I like a woman that likes hounds.’

Amelia frowned at the unhandsome march her sister had stolen upon her.  Just then in came Jawleyford, much to the annoyance of all parties.  A host should never show before the dressing-bell rings.

When that glad sound was at length heard, the ladies, as usual, immediately withdrew; and of course the first thing Amelia did when she got to her room was to run to the glass to see how she had been looking:  when, grievous to relate, she found an angry hot spot in the act of breaking out on her nose.

What a distressing situation for a young lady, especially one with a spectacled suitor.  ‘Oh, dear!’ she thought, as she eyed it in the glass, ‘it will look like Vesuvius itself through his formidable inquisitors.’  Worst of all, it was on the side she would have next him at dinner, should he choose to sit with his back to the fire.  However, there was no help for it, and the maid kindly assuring her, as she worked away at her hair, that it ‘would never be seen,’ she ceased to watch it, and turned her attention to her toilette.  The fine, new broad-lace flounced, light-blue satin dress—­a dress so much like a ball dress as to be only appreciable as a dinner one by female eyes—­was again in requisition; while her fine arms were encircled with chains and armlets of various brilliance and devices.