been very difficult to get over. But as it was, nothing of the kind could be at all likely to occur; and having once made up his mind to hazard, as a necessary outlay, a considerable portion of the money he had contrived to make, he became almost as impatient to open the campaign, as Mrs. O'Donagough herself.

During the course of the following day much business was got through. By inquiries made according to Mrs. O'Donagough's suggestion in Berkeley-square, it was ascertained that General Hubert's family were at Brighton. By boldly parading through all the different haunts where formerly he was best known, Mr. O'Donagough found there was no danger whatever of his being recognised as the flash Major Allen, once so conspicuous among them. By the placing an English bank-note for twenty pounds in the hands of his wife, with a declaration that it was to be wholly expended in the decoration of herself and her daughter, he produced in the hearts of both a throb of pleasure which few things in this life can equal; and laid the foundation of two wardrobes, which were destined for years to be the admiration of many beholders. And, by placing himself in the hands of a first-rate German artist in St. James's-street, he was not only sure of coming forth from them as near in shape and air to the standard he desired to obtain, as it was possible for mortal shears to make him; but with as much safety as any precaution could ensure, of not permitting his person to be studied by any operator, who had ever enjoyed that advantage before.

In addition to all this, the active O'Donagough contrived, before the day was half over, to have himself and his appendages established in private lodgings in Hatton-garden, where, by the aid of a neighbouring ham-shop, and a little lodging-house cookery, they contrived to live for a week at very trifling expense.

But what a week of ecstasy it was! And how fully was it demonstrated in the case of Mrs. O'Donagough, that mind is omnipotent over matter! Few people enjoyed "nice things," as she was wont to call them; that is to say, such eating as particularly suited her fancy, with more keen relish than Mrs. O'Donagough; yet, during this week of strongly-excited sensibilities, although nothing of an edible nature was set before her that she could upon reflection approve, she scarcely uttered a murmur. Tough steaks, and greasy cutlets appeared, and were consumed almost without an observation; while the soaring spirit enjoyed a banquet in the contemplation of caps, bonnets, gowns, and mantles, not yet perceptible to the eye, perhaps, but of which the intellectual faculties were fully cognizant, which rendered all grosser gratifications contemptible.

"I do enjoy my porter, though!" uttered after the dismissal of a peculiarly unmanageable specimen of what is called animal food, was almost the only symptom betrayed by Mrs. O'Donagough of her being alive to any thing of the kind.

At length,

"Industrious man had done his part,"

and industrious women also. "The things" were all sent home, and all that remained to be done before their places were taken for Brighton, was to "pack them up," as Patty said, "so that they might all come out, looking as lovely and beautiful as when they were put in."

"And where are we to leave all the rubbish we have brought

over, Donny, while we make this delightful little trip?" inquired his lady.

Mr. O'Donagough had hired a garret in the house for the purposeMr. O'Donagough had secured three outside places by the earliest coach-Mr. O'Donagough had with his own hands brought home a little basket in which their necessary refreshments during the following day were to be deposited-in short, Mr. O'Donagough had forgotten nothing.

"Well now, every thing seems smooth before us," said Mrs. O'Donagough, over their last Hatton-garden tea-table. "Oh! my darling Agnes! How I do long to get at her! By the by, Donny, I do think it was rather silly of you, never to let me mention to her the time of our coming over. If I had, they would be expecting us, and I

am not quite certain if I should not like that better than taking them by surprise."

"We have discussed that matter already, my dear," replied her peaceable husband. My notion was that it would be better to take them by surprise, and I think so still."

"Well that's settled now, so there is no good in talking any more about it. But don't you think that if they were any of them to see Patty and me scrambling down from the top of the coach, they might think it did not look as if we were really people of fashion, as you have all along promised we should be?" said his wife.

Mr. Allen O'Donagough paused a little before he replied. This was one of the points upon which his system of tactics dictated very strong regulations, and though he was very sleepy, and much more inclined to doze than to talk, having secured himself from slipping off the horsehair-bottomed chair, by fixing his feet upon the mantelpiece, he roused himself sufficiently to express what he thought the occasion called for.

"As to that, my dear, and indeed as to all things of the same kind, it is quite necessary that you, and Patty too, should understand matters thoroughly at once. I do mean that we should appear like people of fashion-I am making immense sacrifices, and running enormous risks for this purpose; but it is altogether childish and silly to suppose that this can be done by people no richer than we are, without a vast deal of very clever management. The real secret is, Mrs. O'Donagough, to keep all your contrivances out of sight; and if you can find out the way to do that, it don't signify a single straw what saving tricks you practise behind the scenes. As to my driving about the country like your fine cousins and nieces, and I don't know what all-it is perfect madness to dream of such a thing-I give you my honour that I should be in jail before I was six months older. But if we all carry on the war upon the same principle, setting our wits to work, one and all, to save money when nobody is looking at us, and to spend it in good style when they are, we may go on making an excellent appearance, and with no danger of getting into a scrape either. Do you understand what I mean, Patty?"

"Oh! dear yes, papa, I do indeed; and I think it is a very good way. I never do care how dirty or shabby my clothes are when I am out of sight, so that I can be smart when I go out to be seen," was the young lady's reply.

"Kiss me, darling!" said the delighted father, who was really be

coming more fond of her every day; "that is exactly the principle on which we must all act; and I hope Mrs. O'D., that you intend to be as reasonable about it as your daughter?"

"Let me alone for that sort of thing, O'Donagough. I don't believe that there is a woman in the world who would be more capable of sacrificing every thing to the making a good appearance, than I should. I was always brought up from my earliest infancy to think a great deal of it. My poor dear mother, I am sure, never thought of any thing else, and I should be sorry if my daughter did not come after me with the same right feelings. All that is to be said, therefore, about this going outside, is just that we must take care not to be seen or known."

"That is quite right, my dear, and speaking like yourself. This time, of course, there can be no danger, as nobody that you ever saw in your life before would be likely to find you out on the top of the Brighton coach. However, as a general rule it may be well to remember, that on all such occasions, the best and safest way is to make yourself look as little like what you are as possible. So that instead of being rather better dressed than the rest of the company on the top of a coach, people that understand the sort of thing that we have in view, would take care to be the worst. For just observe, now-supposing we sat opposite to some sharp-sighted body, who having scoured us from hat to shoe, should make up his wise noddle to believe that we were tallow chandlers, taking our daughter from the melting to get a puff of sea air. Well, suppose that same person saw us afterwards, in the very best and grandest society; would he not be ten times less likely to know us in our fine traps, than if we had worn something in the same shape and fashion when he met us on the coach ?"

"That's very true, my dear," said Mrs. O'Donagough," and late as it is, I think I shall take the hint, and make some little alteration in what I was going to wear. You understand the sort of thing, Patty that your papa means, don't you, my dear?"

"Yes, to be sure I do, and you shall see if I can't make a good sight of myself!" replied Miss Patty, starting away from the tea-table; and seizing upon one of the bonnets, that lay on the top of a trunk ready for the morrow, she began to take out pins, and demolish bows at a great rate.

"My dear child, what are you about?" cried her mother; "you ain't going to waste all that good ribbon, I hope?"

"Waste it? how can you talk such nonsense, mamma? as if that was what papa wanted! No, I won't waste it, but do just look hereDon't I look like a vulgar dowdy?"

66

Well, to be sure, fine feathers do make fine birds, there is no denying it," said Mrs. O'Donagough, looking with some mixture of vexation, at Martha's very successful attempt to make herself look a vulgar dowdy.

"Capital, girl!" cried her father chuckling. thing."

"She is up to every

At an early hour the next morning, the active, enterprising, hopeful trio, were making as much noise in their little sitting-room as if a dozen ordinary persons were about to take their departure from it.

66

Pray, pray don't set that box up on end! It has got both our best

bonnets in it!" cried the elder lady.

July.-VOL. LVI. NO. CCXXIII.