Under this impression he hastened down to meet and greet the fair one. Most happy was his lordship when, as he knew that he must be seen approaching the lady, he did not observe that she made any shew of retreating, or displayed any symptoms of aversion. But his lordship was very near-sighted, and great was his surprise on drawing near, so near as to be within reach of speaking, to find that he had miscalculated. Miss Glossop had never seen Lord Spoonbill before, and though his lordship did not announce himself, the young lady took it for granted that it could be no other. Assuming a most ridiculous air, and speaking with the utmost affectation of tone and cadence, the lady, as they met, and explained that the meeting was a mistake, expressed a hope that she had not intruded by walking into the park. “By no means, madam,” replied the courteous Lord Spoonbill. “I took the liberty of entering the park,” said Miss Glossop, “as I understood that the family was not in the country at this time.” “The family is not down at present,” said Lord Spoonbill. The young lady was at a loss to know who it was that addressed her; and equally at a loss was his lordship to know the name and quality of the lady whom he addressed. But as she was rather pretty, his lordship was politely attentive, and carried his courtesy so far as to offer to conduct her through the state apartments of the castle. The offer was in every respect too gratifying to be refused. Miss Glossop had a taste for splendor, and that taste was amply gratified by the furniture, decorations, and dimensions of the state apartments. Come, gentle reader, you may be worse employed than in accompanying Miss Glossop and Lord Spoonbill round the grand and magnificent apartments of Smatterton castle. They ascended a broad and lofty flight of steps, and passed through a pair of enormously broad and high folding mahogany doors, studded apparently with large iron square-headed nails. Above the door was a great black wooden portcullis. The great hall, into which this mighty entrance admitted the visitor, was appropriately decorated with suits of armour, made on purpose, banners of the most splendid silk that Spitalfields could weave, and on these banners the Spoonbill arms were in various modes and parts displayed. But as the hall would have been incomplete as to its decorations without a proper supply of family portraits, these also in great abundance decorated the walls and filled up the spaces between the suits of armour. This ancestral collection of portraits was not made with the best judgment; for according to the account given by the butler, when he exhibited the wonders of Smatterton castle, the Right Honorable the Earl of Smatterton had a larger number of grandfathers and great grandfathers than usually falls to the lot of one individual, however great his dignity or however high his rank.