TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: —Obvious print and punctuation errors were corrected. —Bold text has been rendered as =bold text=. THE TALK OF THE TOWN VOL. I. [Illustration: MISS MARGARET LIFTED HER EYES FROM HER PLATE WITH A SMILE OF WELCOME.] THE TALK OF THE TOWN BY JAMES PAYN AUTHOR OF ‘BY PROXY’ ETC. ETC. IN TWO VOLUMES VOL. I. _SECOND EDITION_ LONDON SMITH, ELDER, & CO., 15 WATERLOO PLACE 1885 [_All rights reserved_] CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. CHAP. PAGE I. AUNT MARGARET 1 II. OUT IN THE COLD 11 III. A RECITATION 28 IV. A REAL ENTHUSIAST 47 V. THE OLD SETTLE 66 VI. AN AUDACIOUS CRITICISM 87 VII. A COLLECTOR’S GRATITUDE 101 VIII. HOW TO GET RID OF A COMPANY 120 IX. AN UNWELCOME VISITOR 144 X. TWO POETS 158 XI. THE LOVE-LOCK 171 XII. A DELICATE TASK 183 XIII. THE PROFESSION OF FAITH 196 XIV. THE EXAMINERS 218 XV. AT VAUXHALL 230 XVI. A BOMBSHELL 246 XVII. THE MARE’S NEST 259 XVIII. ‘WHATEVER HAPPENS, I SHALL LOVE YOU, WILLIE’ 271 _ILLUSTRATIONS TO VOL. 1._ MISS MARGARET LIFTED HER EYES FROM HER PLATE WITH A SMILE OF WELCOME _Frontispiece_ ‘SCIENCE!’ INTERRUPTED THE ANTIQUARY, VEHEMENTLY, ‘THAT IS THE ARGUMENT OF THE ATHEIST AGAINST THE SCRIPTURES.’ _to face p._ 98 THE DILETTANTI ” 134 ‘MAGGIE, MAGGIE, HERE IS A PRESENT FOR YOU.’ ” 174 THE PROFESSION OF FAITH ” 206 VAUXHALL GARDENS ” 236 A VERY CHEERLESS PROCEEDING ” 262 THE TALK OF THE TOWN. CHAPTER I. AUNT MARGARET. [Illustration]