But fancy my surprise, on coming home in the evening, to find Mrs. Stokes the landlady, Miss Selina Stokes her daughter, and Master Bob Stokes her son (an idle young vagabond that was always playing marbles on St. Bride’s steps and in Salisbury Square),—­when I found them all bustling and tumbling up the steps before me to our rooms on the second floor, and there, on the table, between our two flutes on one side, my album, Gus’s “Don Juan” and “Peerage” on the other, I saw as follows:—­

1.  A basket of great red peaches, looking like the cheeks of my dear Mary Smith.

2.  A ditto of large, fat, luscious, heavy-looking grapes.

3.  An enormous piece of raw mutton, as I thought it was; but Mrs. Stokes said it was the primest haunch of venison that ever she saw.

And three cards—­viz.

DOWAGER COUNTESS OF DRUM. 
LADY FANNY RAKES.

MR. PRESTON. 
LADY JANE PRESTON.

EARL OF TIPTOFF.

“Sich a carriage!” says Mrs. Stokes (for that was the way the poor thing spoke).  “Sich a carriage—­all over coronites! sich liveries—­two great footmen, with red whiskers and yellow-plush small-clothes; and inside, a very old lady in a white poke bonnet, and a young one with a great Leghorn hat and blue ribands, and a great tall pale gentleman with a tuft on his chin.

“‘Pray, madam, does Mr. Titmarsh live here?’ says the young lady, with her clear voice.

“‘Yes, my Lady,’ says I; ’but he’s at the office—­the West Diddlesex Fire and Life Office, Cornhill.’

“‘Charles, get out the things,’ says the gentleman, quite solemn.

“‘Yes, my Lord,’ says Charles; and brings me out the haunch in a newspaper, and on the chany dish as you see it, and the two baskets of fruit besides.

“‘Have the kindness, madam,’ says my Lord, ’to take these things to Mr. Titmarsh’s rooms, with our, with Lady Jane Preston’s compliments, and request his acceptance of them;’ and then he pulled out the cards on your table, and this letter, sealed with his Lordship’s own crown.”

And herewith Mrs. Stokes gave me a letter, which my wife keeps to this day, by the way, and which runs thus:—­

“The Earl of Tiptoff has been commissioned by Lady Jane Preston to express her sincere regret and disappointment that she was not able yesterday to enjoy the pleasure of Mr. Titmarsh’s company.  Lady Jane is about to leave town immediately:  she will therefore be unable to receive her friends in Whitehall Place this season.  But Lord Tiptoff trusts that Mr. Titmarsh will have the kindness to accept some of the produce of her Ladyship’s garden and park; with which, perhaps, he will entertain some of those friends in whose favour he knows so well how to speak.”

Along with this was a little note, containing the words “Lady Drum at home.  Friday evening, June 17.”  And all this came to me because my aunt Hoggarty had given me a diamond-pin!