my having a bronze heart to carry on her pastime?  Why, naturally, I deplore a failure, let the cause be what it will.  Whose regrets can eclipse those of the principal actor?  Quotha! as our old Plays have it.  Regrets?  Did I not for fifteen minutes and more of mortal time sit in view of a multitude, motionless, I ask you, like a chiselled block of stone,—­and the compact was one quarter of an hour, and no farther?  That was my stipulation.  I told her—­I can hold out one quarter of an hour:  I pledged myself to it.  Who, then, is to blame?  I was exposed to view twenty-three minutes, odd seconds.  Is there not some ancient story of a monstrous wretch baked in his own bull?  My situation was as bad.  If I recollect aright, he could roar; no such relief was allowed to me.  And I give you my word, Richie, lads both, that while that most infernal Count Fretzel was pouring forth his execrable humdrum, I positively envied the privilege of an old palsied fellow, chief boatman of the forest lake, for, thinks I, hang him! he can nod his head and I can not.  Let me assure you, twenty minutes of an ordeal like that,—­one posture, mind you, no raising of your eyelids, taking your breath mechanically, and your heart beating—­ jumping like an enraged balletdancer boxed in your bosom—­a literal description, upon my honour; and not only jumping, jumping every now and then, I may say, with a toe in your throat:  I was half-choked:—­well, I say, twenty minutes, twenty-seven minutes and a half of that, getting on, in fact, to half-an-hour, it is superhuman!—­by heavens, it is heroical!

And observe my reward:  I have a son—­my only one.  I have been divided from him for years; I am establishing his fortune; I know he is provided with comforts:  Richie, you remember the woman Waddy?  A faithful soul!  She obtained my consent at last—­previously I had objections; in fact, your address was withheld from the woman—­to call at your school.  She saw Rippenger, a girl of considerable attractions.  She heard you were located at Riversley:  I say, I know the boy is comfortably provided for; but we have been separated since he was a little creature with curls on his forehead, scarce breeched ’

I protested: 

‘Papa, I have been in jacket and trousers I don’t know how long.’

‘Let me pursue,’ said my father.  ’And to show you, Richie, it is a golden age ever when you and I are together, and ever shall be till we lose our manly spirit, and we cling to that,—­till we lose our princely spirit, which we never will abandon—­perish rather!—­I drink to you, and challenge you; and, mind you, old Hock wine has charms.  If Burgundy is the emperor of wines, Hock is the empress.  For youngsters, perhaps, I should except the Hock that gets what they would fancy a trifle pique, turned with age, so as to lose in their opinion its empress flavour.’

Temple said modestly:  ‘I should call that the margravine of wines.’