The ensuing morning, at an early hour, Lord Eyrecourt presented himself in the Rue Ducale, where the love-struck Lord loud and lustily rang at the door of the palace of Tyrconnel. The duchess happened at the time to be looking out from the front window, and observed to Lady Adelaide, "See, my love, who now approaches this mansion; I foresaw, my dear daughter, all this, and that during his presence the last evening, that you had made a deep and firm impression, aye, and conquest to boot, of this self-sick Adonis. So I pray that you see him, and hearken to his most precious proposals, for such you will find to be the object of this his matutinal visit; which said intended proposals I know to a certainty thou wilt reject. Hence I entertain no apprehensions whatever, sweet daughter of mine, in this perilous rencontre," said the duchess, smiling; "for I well know that all his matrimonial propositions thou wilt firmly reject. I shall just in due and stately form receive him, and then retire to my cabinet, whence I can with facility overhear all the ridiculous rhapsodical speeches of this painted popinjay. Do you, notwithstanding, my dear daughter, hear him with a sufficient sum of due patience, meet respect, and with all becoming attention and gratitude; for any man offering his hand to a fair lady is entitled, by all the rules and achievements of the courts of chivalry, love, and courtesy, to a meet and becoming audience. But be brief as thou canst; and the sooner that with due distant and becoming politeness, he were despatched it were all so much the better, and then we shall fully have an end to all his faribolés mal appliqués."

"Fear not," said the Lady Adelaide, "my dearest mother, my fullest obedience."

Here another loud and lusty pull at the hall-bell announced an arrival, when almost immediately Lord Eyrecourt was announced, and ushered in by the footman in waiting. His Lordship, with much grimace, and a smirking visage withal, made two low bows on his entrè, and advanced with a gait which was a halting attempt between a chassé and a pirouëtte. But although this was all self sufficiently done, it was truly and practically the tramp and gait of an elephant, if indeed we could for a moment suppose that mighty creature could stalk on his hind legs; but in other respects "the half-reasoning" quadruped of Africa was every way the superior of the animal who now made his approach.

"Good-morrow to your Grace," lisped forth this conceited popinjay. "Good-morrow too, sweet and most lovely Lady Adelaide; permit, fairest lady, your lowly servant a bèso las mànos!"

Here the duchess thought it decorous to withdraw, and her Grace retired to her cabinet.

"Hail, fairest gem of Erin, bright star of Belgium, and the brilliant sun of Brussels! at sight of thee every eye is enamoured, and every heart takes fire; in witness whereof behold me your lowly servant abroad at this most unfashionable hour, thus prevailing upon myself to come forth and throw my person and my fortunes at your feet, even before that Phœbus hath mounted his meridian car, and the world has become well warmed, to place myself and coronet thus lowly at your feet!"

"Oh rise, my Lord, from that——what, kneel to a mere mortal! I pray you be seated, and I shall endeavour to reply to all the compliments with which your Lordship is so prodigally pleased to overpower me. I must, my Lord, acknowledge, that your Lordship indulges somewhat too freely in mixed metaphor; and I must needs add, you deal somewhat too superabundantly in rhapsodies.—Well, my Lord, let us see what I am like unto? 'A gem of Erin!' pray what is that? Oh, no doubt whatever but it must mean a simple piece of Kerry crystal!—oh, vastly pretty indeed; and almost as nearly transparent as your Lordship's flattery. Well, good, my Lord! what comparison comes next?—Oh, I am 'a Star!' in this I cannot confess that your Lordship's wit shines superlatively.—Pshaw, my Lord, a star is merely a minor light, and visible only at night! Nay now, after all, this simile is only but just so, so. However, I am amply repaid by that which so brilliantly succeeds, 'the Sun of Brussels!' Well, come, that I must needs admit is a resplendent metaphor; but the sun of Brussels I must fain likewise confess I have found too often to my cost, to be a very warm and burning sun. What comes next?—Oh, quite portentous!—I blaze, burn, and destroy, setting eyes in a flame, and hearts on fire, and so forth, in a most formidable comet-like fashion! What this can actually mean, unless it prove a sort of periphrasis, and be slyly intended for a Salamander, I cannot indeed divine. Then if my conjectures prove correct, only think, O glorious Apollo, after the complete extinction of all the tropes, figures, flowers, and poesies, culled from amid the verdant valleys of thine own lofty Parnassus, for thy votary-like Icarus to tumble from the Olympian sky, and to suffer his divine goddess, the object of his idolatrous veneration, to degenerate into a fire-loving earthly Salamander! Oh, by prose and verse, but this is vastly funny!"

"Ah, cruel, cruel, remorseless Lady Adelaide, is it thus you sportively jest at my pains, and mock my misery!—I die for you!"

"Really, my Lord, this is all so very sudden—the symptoms too so very alarming, I feel quite agitated—dejected! Pray, let me advise you, my Lord, to call in the advice of Sir Patricius Placebo, whose skill is undisputed!"