"Ha, ha!" said the other, good humouredly, "you are laughing at me.

Well, well, I merely wished to give you a hint; but you saw very well what I meant; upon the whole I think you improve.

But I must now go, having two other pupils to visit before four." Then taking from the table a kind of three-cornered hat, and a cane headed with amber, he shook Francis Ardry by the hand; and, after glancing at me for a moment, made me a half bow, attended with a strange grimace, and departed.
"Who is that gentleman ?" said I to Francis Ardry, as soon as we were alone.
"Oh, that is -- -," said Frank smiling, "the gentleman who gives me lessons in elocution." "And what need have you of elocution ?" "Oh, I merely obey the commands of my guardians," said Francis, "who insist that I should, with the assistance of -- -, qualify myself for Parliament; for which they do me the honour to suppose that I have some natural talent.

I dare not disobey them; for, at the present moment, I have particular reasons for wishing to keep on good terms with them." "But," said I, "you are a Roman Catholic; and I thought that persons of your religion were excluded from Parliament ?" "Why, upon that very thing the whole matter hinges; people of our religion are determined to be no longer excluded from Parliament, but to have a share in the government of the nation.

Not that I care anything about the matter; I merely obey the will of my guardians; my thoughts are fixed on something better than politics." "I understand you," said I; "dog-fighting--well, I can easily conceive that to some minds dog-fighting--" "I was not thinking of dog-fighting," said Francis Ardry, interrupting me.
"Not thinking of dog-fighting!" I ejaculated.
"No," said Francis Ardry, "something higher and much more rational than dog-fighting at present occupies my thoughts." "Dear me," said I, "I thought I had heard you say, that there was nothing like it!" "Like what ?" said Francis Ardry.
"Dog-fighting, to be sure," said I.
"Pooh," said Francis Ardry; "who but the gross and unrefined care anything for dog-fighting?
That which at present engages my waking and sleeping thoughts is love--divine love--there is nothing like _that_.
Listen to me, I have a secret to confide to you." And then Francis Ardry proceeded to make me his confidant.