I here instantly forgot my troubles as the party entered from the gardens, when I was thus presented by my good friend:--"Ellen, my dear, and Betty, here's Mr. Catlin; and, Mr. S----n, I have the extreme pleasure of presenting to your acquaintance the famous Mr. Catlin, whose name and whose works are familiar to you: and now, Catlin, my dear fellow, I introduce you to Mr. J. S., the son of the gentleman with whom I have just made you acquainted. Mr. J. S. has just returned from amongst the natives of New Zealand, where he has spent three or four years; and your descriptions of all the modes and customs of the North American Indians, compared with his accounts of the New Zealanders, will be so rich a treat to us!----But, Catlin, you look pale! Are you not well? You look so fagged!" "Yes, yes; I am well." "Oh, that plagued exhibition of yours--it will be the death of you! You must keep away from it, or you will talk yourself to death there! My good friends, come, take seats! Catlin, my dear fellow, come, join us in a glass of good old sherry--it will give you an appetite for your dinner--Is it to your liking?" "I thank you, it is very fine." "Will you take another?" "No, I am much obliged to you." "My dear, look at the clock--what time is it?" "Quarter past five." "Ah, well, I didn't think it was so late--be sure to have the dinner up at seven--do you hear?" [Illustration: N^o. 3.] Oh, Time and Paper! I will not tax you with the pains of kindness I was at that moment entering upon--I, who had been for eight years eating at the simple Indians' hospitable boards, where eating and talking are seldom done together; or taking my solitary meals, cooked by my own hand; where I had no one to talk with--but will leave it to Imagination's exhaustless colours, which, for a harmless pastime, will paint the pleasures, perhaps, of the dragging hours of my lifetime that I sighed through from that until twelve o'clock at night (the last half-hour of which I had stood upon my feet, with my hat in my hand, taking affectionate leave, with, "My dear, charming Sir, you can't tell how happy we have all been--your accounts have been so interesting! You _must_ come another evening and dine with us, and we will have Mr. G. and Mr. and Mrs. L----n; they will be so impatient to hear you tell all you have told us. Good night!--_good_ night!--we shall all be in a party at your exhibition to-morrow at an early hour, at ten o'clock--mind, don't forget the hour--and it will be so delightful to hear you explain everything in your collection, which my dear husband has seen so often, and says are so curious and interesting. Poor fellow! he is quite knocked up--he has been up all day, and constantly talking, and was so completely worn out that he went off to bed an hour ago--you will know how to excuse him. We ladies can often entertain our friends long after _his_ powers of conversation are fagged out. Good night--good night, my dear Sir--farewell!"