AT DINNER They were assembled in the drawing-room before dinner, when Lord Kilgobbin arrived, heated, dusty, and tired, after his twelve miles' drive.

'I say, girls,' said he, putting his head inside the door, 'is it true that our distinguished guest is not coming down to dinner, for, if so, I'll not wait to dress ?' 'No, papa; he said he'd stay with Mr.Walpole.

They've been receiving and despatching telegrams all day, and seem to have the whole world on their hands,' said Kate.
'Well, sir, what did you do at the sessions ?' 'Yes, my lord,' broke in Nina, eager to show her more mindful regard to his rank than Atlee displayed; 'tell us your news ?' 'I suspect we have got two of them, and are on the traces of the others.
They are Louth men, and were sent special here to give me a lesson, as they call it.

That's what our blessed newspapers have brought us to.

Some idle vagabond, at his wits' end for an article, fastens on some unlucky country gentleman, neither much better nor worse than his neighbours, holds him up to public reprobation, perfectly sure that within a week's time some rascal who owes him a grudge--the fellow he has evicted for non-payment of rent, the blackguard he prosecuted for perjury, or some other of the like stamp--will write a piteous letter to the editor, relating his wrongs.