"My dear Valerie," cried she, "you don't know how you have obliged me by introducing that little woman and her flowers. What a delightful and elegant employment for a heroine to undertake--so lady-like! I have determined that mine shall support herself by imitating flowers in wax. I am just at the point of placing her in embarrassed circumstances, and did not well know how she was to gain her livelihood, but, thanks to you, that is selected, and in a most charming and satisfactory manner. It is so hard to associate poverty with clean hands." About a fortnight afterwards, after some other conversation, Lady R-- said, "My dear Valerie, I have a surprise for you. The season is nearly over, and, what is more important, my third volume will be complete in a fortnight. Last night as I was wooing Somnus in vain, an idea came into my head. I proposed going to pass the autumn at Brighton, as you know, but last night I made up my mind that we would go over the water; but whether it is to be Havre, or Dieppe, or Paris, or anywhere else I cannot say, but certainly La Belle France. How do you like the idea? I think of making a sort of sentimental journey. We will seek adventures. Shall we go like Rosamond and Celia? I with `gallant curtal axe,' dressed as a youth. Shall we be mad, Valerie? What say you?" I hardly knew what to say. Lady R--appeared to have a most unusual freak in her head, and to be a little more odd than usual. Now I had no wish to go to France, as I might fall in with people whom I did not wish to see; and moreover, from what I had heard of her ladyship's adventures in Italy, I was convinced that she was one of many, I may say, who fancy that they may do as they please out of their own country, and I certainly did not wish to figure in her train; I therefore replied, "I know my own country well, Lady R--, and there cannot be a less eligible one for a masquerade. We should meet with too many _desagremens_, if unprotected by male society, and our journey would be anything but sentimental. But if you do go to France, does Lionel accompany you?" "Well, I do not know, but I should like him to learn the language. I think I shall take him. He is a clever boy." "Very," replied I; "where did you pick him up?" "He is a son of my late father's"--(`a son of--' exclaimed I)--"tenant, or something I was going to say," continued Lady R--, colouring; "but I could not recollect exactly what the man was. Bailiff, I think. I know nothing about his father, but he was recommended to me by Sir Richard before he died." "Recommended as a servant?" replied I; "he appears to me to be too good for so menial a position."