When she rose, he took her place, and made me laugh heartily over his imitation of the Italian opera. He was a capital mimic--struck his breast and clenched his fist as the basso--shrugged his shoulders, and elevated his arm to heaven, as the tenor--squeaked and wailed as the prima donna; and concluded with a duet, making the oddest noises with his mouth, in excellent imitation of a violoncello. This done, he bowed to the room, and pretended to collect bouquets. I passed the rest of the evening in playing double-dummy with him, while Theresa sat near us, sometimes reading, but more often watching the game. CHAPTER IX. “The circulating hours dividing ’Twixt reading, walking, eating, riding.” _Jenyns._ A regular account of my doings during my stay at uncle Dick’s house would be rather wearisome. It would be a different matter if I had the ability to make the record as pleasant as the experience. One or two neighbours were disposed to be friendly; but unfortunately, they were people Theresa didn’t care about. My kind-hearted uncle appeared to regret the general want of cordiality for my sake. “In other places,” he said, “some kind of fun is always to be got; pic-nics, lawn-parties, and so forth. But the utmost civilities we are accustomed to, here, are sometimes a bow, and at long intervals, a visit.” I assured him that I wanted no other and no better society than himself and his daughter. “Still,” said he, “I should like to have given a party of some kind for you. But if I wanted to fill my rooms, I should have to hunt for my guests in the highways and under the hedges. There are not half-a-dozen creatures in the district to whom I would offer a glass of wine.” “English society appears to me intolerably exclusive.”