Soon after, Mr. Brown, running up to us, called out, "La, what, i'n't Miss Polly come yet?"
"Come," said Mr. Branghton; "why, I thought you went to fetch her yourself, didn't you?"
"Yes, but I couldn't find her;-yet I daresay I've been over half the garden."
"Half? but why did not you go over it all?"
"Why, so I will: but only I thought I'd just come and see if she was here first."
"But where's Tom?"
"Why, I don't know; for he would not stay with me, all as ever I could say: for we met some young gentlemen of his acquaintance, and so he bid me go and look by myself; for he said, says he, I can divert myself better another way, says he."
This account being given, away again went this silly young man; and Mr. Branghton, extremely incensed, said he would go and see after them himself.
"So, now", cried Madame Duval, "he's gone too! why, at this rate, we shall have to wait for one or other of them all night!"
Observing that Sir Clement seemed disposed to renew his enquiries, I turned towards one of the paintings, and, pretending to be very much occupied in looking at it, asked M. Du Bois some questions concerning the figures.
"O! Mon Dieu!" cried Madame Duval, "don't ask him; your best way is to ask Mr. Smith, for he's been here the oftenest. Come, Mr. Smith, I dare say you can tell us all about them."
"Why, yes, Ma'am, yes," said Mr. Smith: who, brightening up at this application, advanced towards us with an air of assumed importance, which, however, sat very uneasily upon him, and begged to know what he should explain first: "For I have attended," said he, "to all these paintings, and know every thing in them perfectly well; for I am rather fond of pictures, Ma'am; and, really, I must say, I think, a pretty pictures is a-a very-is really a very-is something very pretty-"
"So do I too," said Madame Duval; "but pray now, Sir, tell us who that is meant for," pointing to a figure of Neptune.
"That!-why, that, Ma'am, is,-Lord bless me, I can't think how I come to be so stupid, but really I have forgot his name;-and yet, I know it as well as my own too:-however, he's a General, Ma'am, they are all Generals."