Coningsby

two years, was ushered into the waiting-room of a house in the vicinity of St. James's Square, which, though with the general appearance of a

ur crossed the threshold. The hall-table was covered with sealed letters; and

even a newspaper; and the only books were the Court Guide and the London Directory. For some time he remained with patient endurance planted against the wall, with his feet resting on the rail of his chair; but at length in his shifting posture he gave evidence of his restlessness, rose from his seat, looked out of the window into a small s

thoughtful and resolute. The expression of his deep blue eyes was serious. Without extreme regularity of features, the face was one that would never have passed unobserved. His short upper lip indicated a good breed; and his chestnut c

ait of the Duke, which he had observed to be awry, the gentlem

are setting the Duke to rights. I have left you a long time a prisoner; b

tellectual, and gave some character of openness to a countenance which, though not ill-favoured, was unhappily stamped by a sinister cast that was not to be mistaken. His manner was easy, but rather audacious than well-bred. Indeed, while a visage which

on the entrance of the gentleman,

to grandpap

and they were just on the point of leaving the waiting-room, when the door was suddenly t

exclaimed at the same mo

told

hority; one o

o?

, and he told me that Lord Grey had resigned

to-day, he could not have been there before twelve o'clock; that it was only now a quarter to one; that Lord Grey would have called his colleagues together on his return; that at least an hour must have elapsed before anything could possibly have transpired. Then he compared and criticised the dates of every rumoured incident of the last twenty-four hours, and nobody was stronger in dates than Mr. Rigby; counted even the number of stairs which t

from the consciousness that he had most critically demolished a piece of political gossip and conveyed a certain degree of mortification to a couple of his companions; when a tr

g, Rigby,' s

am sure,' said Mr. Rigby

news, gentlemen?'

o; that is to say,

, that Lord Lyndhurs

ssible,' sa

n be mistaken,' sai

not have seen the King until twelve o'clock; it is now five minutes to one. It is impossible, therefore, that any

y is a high one,

; 'we must look to time and place, date

rve Mr. Tadpole, emboldened by the presence of a duke, his pa

passed his Lordship's house in Hyde Park Place as he was getting into his carriage in full dress, stopped my own, and

ttom,' exclaimed Mr. Taper, who, under the ol

hat the Whigs would never prove men of business; and when his friends confessed among themselves that a Tory Government was for the future impossibl

id Mr. Tadpole. The infamous conduct of the Whigs in the Am

as worse,' sa

ll in our House. I believe Rigby's great speech on Aldborough has done more to

part of the Sovereign, and I am free to say I could have wished it postponed

did not breakfast with Lyndhurst this morning, as

and why

nmouth's grandson. By the bye, you are kinsmen