on London by residing in it ? I did not think it necessary to reply that I was perfectly aware I should not do that, in any case, but merely told him where I did reside.
" A lady so graceful and accomplished," he said, kissing his right glove, and afterwards extending it towards the pupils, " will look leniently on the deficiencies here. We do our best to polish—polish—polish ! "
He sat down beside me ; taking some pains to sit on the form, I thought, in imitation of the print of his illustrious model on the sofa. And really he did look very like it.
" To polish—polish—polish ! " he repeated, taking a pinch of snuff and gently fluttering his fingers. " But we are not—if I may say so, to one formed to be graceful both by Nature and Art ; " with the high-shouldered bow, which it seemed impossible for him to make without lifting up his eyebrows and shutting his eyes—" we are not what we used to be in point of Deportment."
" Are we not, sir ? " said I.
" We have degenerated," he returned, shaking his head, which he could do, to a very limited extent, in his cravat. "A levelling age is not favorable to Deportment. It develops vulgarity. Perhaps I speak with some little partiality. It may not be for me to say that I have been called, for some years now, Gentleman Turveydrop ; or that His Royal Highness the Prince Regent did me the honor to inquire, on my removing my hat as he drove out of the Pavilion at Brighton (that fine building), ' Who is he ? Who the Devil is he ? Why don't I know him ? Why hasn't he thirty thousand a year ? ' But these are little matters of anecdote—the general property, ma'am,—still repeated, occasionally, among the upper classes,"
"Indeed?" said I.
He replied with the high-shouldered bow. " Where what is left among us of Deportment," he added, " still lingers. England—alas, my country !—has degenerated very much, and is degenerating every day. She has not many gentlemen left. We are few. I see nothing to succeed us, but a race of weavers."
" One might hope that the race of gentlemen would be perpetuated here," said I.
" You are very good," he smiled, with the high-shouldered bow again. " You flatter me. But, no—no ! I have never been able to imbue my poor boy with that part of his art. Heaven forbid that I should disparage my dear child, but he has—no Deportment."
" He appears to be an excellent master," I observed.
" Understand me, my dear madam, he is an excellent master. All that can be acquired, he has acquired. All that can be imparted, he can impart. But there are things "—he took another pinch of snuff and made the bow again, as if to add, " this kind of thing, for instance."
I glanced towards the centre of the room, where Miss Jellyby's lover, now engaged with single pupils, was undergoing greater drudgery than ever.
" My amiable child," murmured Mr. Turveydrop, adjusting his cravat.
" Your son is indefatigable," said I.
" It is my reward," said Mr. Turveydrop, " to hear you say so. In
