“South, sir. Llansillen.”
“Ay, South. The most picturesque certainly. Llansillen, Llansillen; know it; know everybody ten miles round. Respectable people—all—very; most respectable people come up from Wales continually. Some of our best blood from Wales, as a great personage observed lately to me,—Thick, thick! not thicker blood than the Welsh. His late Majesty, à-propos, was pleased to say to me once—”
“But,” interrupted Miss Clarendon, “what do you say to my tooth?”
“Sound as a roach, my dear ma’am; I will insure it for a thousand pounds.”
“But that, the tooth you touch, is not the tooth I mean: pray look at this, sir?”
“Excuse me, my dear madam, a little in my light,” said he to the aunt. “May I beg the favour of your name?”
“Pennant! ah! ah! ah!” with his hands in uplifted admiration—“I thought so—Pennant. I said so to myself, for I know so many Pennants—great family resemblance—Great naturalist of that name—any relation? Oh yes—No—I thought so from the first. Yes—and can assure you, to my private certain knowledge, that man stood high on the pinnacle of favour with a certain royal personage,—for, often sitting in this very chair—
“Keep your mouth open—a little longer—little wider, my good Miss Pennant. Here’s a little something for me to do, nothing of any consequence—only touch and go—nothing to be taken away, no, no, must not lose one of these fine teeth. That most illustrious personage said one day to me, sitting in this very chair—‘Swift,’ said he, ‘St. Leger Swift,’ familiarly, condescendingly, colloquially—‘St. Leger Swift, my good fellow,’ said he—
“But positively, my dear Miss—um, um, if you have not patience—you must sit still—pardon me, professionally I must be peremptory. Impossible I could hurt—can’t conceive—did not touch—only making a perquisition—inquisition—say what you please, but you are nervous, ma’am; I am only taking a general survey.
“A-propos—general survey—General—a friend of mine, General Clarendon is just come to town. My ears must have played me false, but I thought my man said something like Clarendon when he showed you up.”