“Away, then, my dear; since you will heat yourself for nothing. But only let me point out to you,” said she, holding the paper fast whilst she held it up to him, “that this whole report rests on no authority whatever; not a word of it in the gazette; not a line from the admiralty; no official account; no bulletin; no credit given to the rumour at Lloyd’s; stocks the same.--And how did the news come? Not even the news-writer pretends it came through any the least respectable channel. A frigate in latitude the Lord knows what! saw a fleet in a fog--might be Spanish--might be French--might be English--spoke another frigate some days afterwards, who heard firing: well--firing says nothing. But the frigate turns this firing into an engagement, and a victory; and presently communicates the news to a collier, and the collier tells another collier, and so it goes up the Thames, to some wonder-maker, standing agape for a paragraph, to secure a dinner. To the press the news goes, just as our paper is coming out; and to be sure we shall have a contradiction and an apology in our next.” “Well, ma’am; but I will ask Mr. Walsingham what he thinks, and show him the paper.” “Do, if you like it, my dear; I never control you; but don’t overheat yourself for nothing. What can Mr. Walsingham, or all the Walsinghams in the world, tell more than we can? and as to showing him the paper, you know he takes the same paper. But don’t let me detain you.--Amelia, who is that coming through the gate? Mr. Palmer’s servant, I protest!” “Well; it can’t be, I see!” said Beaumont, dismounting.