'Don't run away, my dear,' said Signor Billsmethi, 'this is Mr.Cooper--Mr.Cooper, of Fetter-lane.

Mr.Cooper, my daughter, sir--Miss Billsmethi, sir, who I hope will have the pleasure of dancing many a quadrille, minuet, gavotte, country-dance, fandango, double-hornpipe, and farinagholkajingo with you, sir.

She dances them all, sir; and so shall you, sir, before you're a quarter older, sir.' And Signor Bellsmethi slapped Mr.Augustus Cooper on the back, as if he had known him a dozen years,--so friendly;--and Mr.Cooper bowed to the young lady, and the young lady curtseyed to him, and Signor Billsmethi said they were as handsome a pair as ever he'd wish to see; upon which the young lady exclaimed, 'Lor, pa!' and blushed as red as Mr.Cooper himself--you might have thought they were both standing under a red lamp at a chemist's shop; and before Mr.Cooper went away it was settled that he should join the family circle that very night--taking them just as they were--no ceremony nor nonsense of that kind--and learn his positions in order that he might lose no time, and be able to come out at the forthcoming ball.
Well; Mr.Augustus Cooper went away to one of the cheap shoemakers' shops in Holborn, where gentlemen's dress-pumps are seven-and-sixpence, and men's strong walking just nothing at all, and bought a pair of the regular seven-and-sixpenny, long-quartered, town-mades, in which he astonished himself quite as much as his mother, and sallied forth to Signor Billsmethi's.

There were four other private pupils in the parlour: two ladies and two gentlemen.

Such nice people! Not a bit of pride about them.