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'But it's the Countess's own party!' interposed Mrs. Gills.

'I'll have no parties!' thundered forth the Earl. Why did you not let me know of it, madam ?'

'We thought it would be an agreeable surprise!'

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'Tom!' cried the Earl, calling loudly to the porter. 'Do you hear? Lock that door! Open it to no one! Not another soul shall enter tonight. What persons are these?' he added, turning to the Countess with a look which made her tremble.

"They are the singers, my lord.'

'Dismiss them! I'll not have them here: they're not wanted.'

Whereupon he returned to his associates, who were all extremely merry, and demanded of them why they had not informed him of the issue of the cards for this soirée musicale?

'We thought it by far too good a joke,' was the reply.

'A joke!' exclaimed the Earl. It may be a joke to you, gentlemen; but look at the position in which it places me! Tom!' he added, calling again to the porter, as the knocking at the door became tremendous. 'Never mind their knocking! If you let another creature in I'll strangle you. Are those people gone?'

'No, my lord.'

'Turn them out! Why do they remain ?'

The reason soon appeared. They had resolved not to leave the house without being paid; and no sooner was the Earl informed of this, than he rushed fiercely up to them again, with a forcible ejectment in view.

'I'll hear nothing of your demands,' said he 'to-night. I insist upon your leaving instantly. If you remain another moment you will draw upon yourselves consequences which may not be pleasing."

Several of the professional gentlemen here endeavoured to reason with him on the subject, but he would not hear a word, and exhibited such excessive violence that they eventually deemed it expedient to depart.

He saw them out, while Tom kept on guard, and then closed the door upon them himself. But the knocking still continued, for the street was full of carriages, and the whole neighbourhood seemed to be in a state of commotion.

' Wrench off that knocker,' he cried, and then write upon the door.' 'What, my lord?'

Gone to the devil!-to let!-anything!-run away!—no matter what!'

Tom mixed up some whitening with great expedition, and while the enraged Earl himself kept guard, he wrenched off the knocker, and marked upon the door in legible characters, 'To LET. GONE

AWAY.'

'Now,' said the Earl, 'let them thunder if they can. Snap that bell-wire-snap it at once! I charge you, Tom, not to let another soul in to-night.' And having given this charge with violent emphasis, he quitted the house, leaving the Countess and her mamma sobbing over each other like children, while the Captain and his band were enjoying themselves highly, and making a soirée musicale of it, occasionally looking out upon the long line of carriages which continued to arrive and to depart with their loads until past one o'clock in the morning.

Want of room compels us, says the English publisher, to postpone till next month a clever paper on the 'Education of the Middle Classes,' by Dr. Taylor; and for the same reason we are obliged to omit 'Hora Offleans.'

ASTO,

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