“What can all that noise be about?” said Mrs Plausible to her husband, who was sitting with her in the drawing-room, reading the Lancet, while she knotted, or did not.

“I am sure I cannot tell, Mrs Plausible.”

“There, again!  I’m sure if I have heard one, I have heard thirty raps at a door within this quarter of an hour.  I’m determined I will know what it is,” continued Mrs Plausible, getting up, and ringing the bell.

“Thomas, do you know what all that noise is about?” said Mrs Plausible, when the servant answered the bell.

“No, ma’am, I doesn’t.”

“Well, then, go and see.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The impatience of Mrs Plausible, during the absence of Thomas, increased with the repetition of the knocks.

“Well, Thomas?” said she, as the footman entered.

“If you please, ma’am, Mr Feasible has got a conwersation—­that’s all.”

“Got a what?”

“A conversazione he means, my dear.  It’s very strange that Doctor Feasible should pretend to give such a thing!”

“I think so too,” replied the lady.  “He keeps no carriage.  What can be his inducement?”

“I perceive,” replied Dr Plausible, “he wants to get practice.  Depend upon it, that’s his plan.  A sprat to catch mackerel!”

Husband and wife were again silent, and resumed their occupations; but the Lancet was not read, and the knotting was all in knots, for they were both in a brown study.  At last, Mrs Plausible commenced:—­

“I really do not see, my dear, why we should not give a conversazione as well as Doctor Feasible.”

“I was just thinking that we could give them much better; our acquaintance now is very numerous.”

“And very respectable,” replied the lady; “it will make us more known in the world.”

“And add to my practice.  I’ll soon beat Doctor Feasible out of the field!”

The result of this conversation was a conversazione, which certainly was on a much better scale, and better attended than the one collected by Doctor Feasible.  Doctor Plausible had pumped a mutual acquaintance as to the merits of his rival, and had set to work with great diligence.

He ordered his carriage, and for two or three days previous to the one fixed, went round to all his friends who had curiosities, foreign, indigenous, or continental, admired them, talked learnedly, expressed a wish to exhibit them to several gentlemen of talent at his next conversazione, pulled out a card for the party, and succeeded in returning home with his carriage stuffed with curiosities and monstrosities.

Negus and cherry-water were added to tea in the refreshment-room; and the conversazione of Doctor Plausible was pronounced by those who had been invited to both, infinitely superior to that of Doctor Feasible.  A good-natured friend called upon Doctor and Mrs Feasible with the news.  They pretended indifference, as they bit their lips to conceal their vexation.  As soon as he took his leave—­