You surely must have remarked that lovely girl I waltzed with at Power's ball on Tuesday last." "Lovely girl! Why, in all seriousness, you don't mean the small woman with the tow wig ?" "No, I do not mean any such thing--but a beautiful creature, with the brightest locks in Christendom--the very light-brown waving ringlets, Dominicheno loved to paint, and a foot--did you see her foot ?" "No; that was rather difficult, for she kept continually bobbing up and down, like a boy's cork-float in a fish-pond." "Stop there.

I shall not permit this any longer--I came not here to listen to--" "But, Curzon, my boy, you're not angry ?" "Yes, sir, I am angry." "Why, surely, you have not been serious all this time ?" "And why not, pray ?" "Oh! I don't exactly know--that is, faith I scarcely thought you were in earnest, for if I did, of course I should honestly have confessed to you that the lady in question struck me as one of the handsomest persons I ever met." "You think so really, Hal ?" "Certainly I do, and the opinion is not mine alone; she is, in fact universally admired." "Come, Harry, excuse my bad temper.

I ought to have known you better -- give me your hand, old boy, and wish me joy, for with you aiding and abetting she is mine to-morrow morning." I wrung his hand heartily--congratulating myself, meanwhile, how happily I had got out of my scrape; as I now, for the first time, perceived that Curzon was bona fide in earnest.
"So, you will stand by me, Hal," said he.
"Of course.

Only show me how, and I'm perfectly at your service.
Any thing from riding postillion on the leaders to officiating as brides-maid, and I am your man.

And if you are in want of such a functionary, I shall stand in 'loco parentis' to the lady, and give her away with as much 'onction' and tenderness as tho' I had as many marriageable daughters as king Priam himself.