‘No instructions, Mr. Ducie!’ said he.  ’How did I know you wished to renew an acquaintance which you had just terminated so fortunately?  And, indeed, to be frank with you, I should have set my face against it, if you had!  Let them go!  They are paid and contented, and have the highest possible opinion of Mr. St. Ivey!  When I gave them fifty pounds apiece—­which was rather more than enough, Mr. Ducie, whatever you may think—­the man Todd, who has the only tongue of the party, struck his staff on the ground.  “Weel,” says he, “I aye said he was a gentleman!” “Man, Todd,” said I, “that was just what Mr St. Ivey said of yourself!"’

‘So it was a case of “Compliments fly when gentlefolk meet."’

’No, no, Mr. Ducie, man Todd and man Candlish are gone out of your life, and a good riddance!  They are fine fellows in their way, but no proper associates for the like of yourself; and do you finally agree to be done with all eccentricity—­take up with no more drovers, or tinkers, but enjoy the naitural pleesures for which your age, your wealth, your intelligence, and (if I may be allowed to say it) your appearance so completely fit you.  And the first of these,’ quoth he, looking at his watch, ’will be to step through to my dining-room and share a bachelor’s luncheon.’

Over the meal, which was good, Mr. Robbie continued to develop the same theme.  ‘You’re, no doubt, what they call a dancing-man?’ said he.  ’Well, on Thursday night there is the Assembly Ball.  You must certainly go there, and you must permit me besides to do the honours of the ceety and send you a ticket.  I am a thorough believer in a young man being a young man—­but no more drovers or rovers, if you love me!  Talking of which puts me in mind that you may be short of partners at the Assembly—­oh, I have been young myself!—­and if ye care to come to anything so portentiously tedious as a tea-party at the house of a bachelor lawyer, consisting mainly of his nieces and nephews, and his grand-nieces and grand-nephews, and his wards, and generally the whole clan of the descendants of his clients, you might drop in to-night towards seven o’clock.  I think I can show you one or two that are worth looking at, and you can dance with them later on at the Assembly.’

He proceeded to give me a sketch of one or two eligible young ladies’ whom I might expect to meet.  ’And then there’s my parteecular friend, Miss Flora,’ said he.  ’But I’ll make no attempt of a description.  You shall see her for yourself.’

It will be readily supposed that I accepted his invitation; and returned home to make a toilette worthy of her I was to meet and the good news of which I was the bearer.  The toilette, I have reason to believe, was a success.  Mr. Rowley dismissed me with a farewell:  ‘Crikey!  Mr. Anne, but you do look prime!’ Even the stony Bethiah was—­how shall I say?—­dazzled, but scandalised, by my appearance; and while, of course, she deplored the vanity that led to it, she could not wholly prevent herself from admiring the result.