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His bluff outspoken nature made Lever not the best of diplomatists. At Florence a little incident occurred furnishing an illustration of his capacity for retort, but unluckily the barb recoiled upon his own too sensitive breast. "There was a terrace in front of the house reached by a flight of steps," writes a man who knew him well. "One day a tailor from the city waited on Lever as he was sitting on the terrace, with his bill for some clothes supplied to him. The charges appeared to be unconscionable. Lever remonstrated, the tailor insisted. The remonstrant grew angry, talked loudly, and gesticulated with vehemence. Sartor, in a fright, retreated backwards, fearing, as he said, some personal violence, till he reached the edge of the terrace and tumbled over. A summons to Lever to appear before the Court at Florence was the result. The tailor swore that he fell and was hurt in trying to escape being assaulted. Lever stated such an idea never entered his head, though he admitted that the man went backwards and fell as he alleged. The Court asked how he could account for the man's fright and movements on any other ground than that stated. On two grounds,' replied Lever. "The man is a Tuscan, and a tailor;' an excellent speech in aggravation of damages, as he found to his cost."

If, after this untoward event, Lever became the terror

friend, Prince Metternich, I have made it a rule through life never to burden my memory with what can be spared it, and of these are the patronymics of all subordinate people; for this reason, sir, and to this end, every cook in my establishment answers to the name of Honoré, my valet is always Pierre, my coachman Jacob, and all Foreign Office messengers I call Paynter."

of tailors and Tuscans, he continued the delight of the Anglo-Florentine Society. In the companionship of Mr. and Mrs. Browning he found a real charm. Linked by letters, all political differences were forgotten, and laudation of Lever was always grateful to them. Miss Mitford, writing to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, at Florence about this time, refers to Lever in that pleasant comment, elsewhere given, which the poetess's previous praise of him evoked.

Time was when the rebuffs and vicissitudes met by an adventurous spirit beyond the Atlantic furnished excitement for the man and stirring incident for his biographer. But now nous avons changé, &c. The English Consul consoled himself by the thought that "if in the world of well-bred life the incidents and events were fewer because the friction is less than in the classes where vicissitudes are more frequent, the play of passion, the moods of temper, and the changeful vanities of nature are often very strongly developed, shadowed and screened though they be by the polished conventionalities of society. To trace and mark these has long constituted one of the pleasures of my life."

Without the occasional excitement of cards, however, he could never have got on as pleasantly as he did. He was provoked to find whist on the decline, and that a languid apathy seemed to overtake men who cared not for "cards" or "honours." Had they never heard of the terrible warning of Talleyrand to his friend who could not play, "Reflect on the miserable old age that

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awaits you." "How much of human nature, that would otherwise be unprofitable, can be made available by whist! What scores of tiresome old twaddlers are there who can still serve their country as whisters! What feeble intelligences that can flicker out into a passing brightness at the sight of the "turned trump!" "Think of this," he added warmly, "and think what is to become of us when the old, the feeble, the tiresome, and the interminable will all be thrown broadcast over society without an object or an occupation. Imagine what bores will be let loose upon the world, and fancy how feeble will be all efforts of wit or pleasantry to season a mass of such incapables!"

He was not wholly dependent on whist to while away the evening. It was his habit to read aloud for his family the work of the morning. Of one of the books then in hand, he remarked to Hayman that, if its success in the world at large reached one tithe of its popularity at home, it would more than content any author's ambition.

His natural modesty made him deeply grateful for praise when he was fortunate enough to get it. Those who witnessed his delight will not soon forget the emotion with which he read an elaborate paper on his writings, which appeared in "Blackwood" about this time, and expressed a decided conviction that Mickey Free, and Major Monsoon and Kerry O'Leary and Baby Blake, Mary Martin and Kate O'Donoghue and Kenny and Mrs. Dodd should live along with Jeanie Deans, or Matthew Bramble, or Squire Western, as distinctly recognised types of national character.

CHAPTER IX.

An important friendship formed-J. G. Adair, Esq. D.L.-A delightful tour-His lavish hand-Thrift tried once more- -Visit to the Dublin Exhibition-He leaves men of Herculean mould weak from laughter— Effect of his wit at Lord Lytton's and Lord Houghton's tables-Writes "Tony Butler," and also writes his will-Peculiarities of facial expression-" Cornelius O'Dowd"-"Sir Brook Fossbrooke "-A misfortune comes "The Bramleighs"-"That Boy of Norcott's "-" Rent in a Cloud."

IT will be remembered that Mr. John George Adair was appointed an executor under Lever's will. The origin of his acquaintance with Lever was under strange circumstances. Mr. Adair, accompanied by some friends, was returning from Fiesole in high spirits, and in the midst of a wild tempest, when their party was familiarly accosted from the Casa Caponi at Florence by a joyous voice exclaiming, "You must be Irishmen, or you'd never be laughing under such rain!" In a few minutes all were friends for life; and within three days, as the date of the will testifies, Lever appointed Mr. Adair his executor, a fact unknown to him until after the novelist's death. Lever ascertained that Mr. Adair had just accomplished the quickest journey on record from Ireland to Florence. "I am going to England in haste," said Lever," and you are just the man to bear me company." He hated a hackneyed

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route, and he suggested that they should go to Pisa, and from thence to Spezzia, where a steamer would be sure to touch for Marseilles, but didn't. They then proceeded by land to Genoa, passing through Parma and Lombardy-visiting the Lago di Maggiore-but the journey was here impeded by the snow, which blocked up the usual pass through the Alps. In short, a succession of contretemps-met with the pleasant philosophy of a Heraclitus, and ingeniously utilised for the purposes of perfect enjoyment-overtook them; and three weeks were consumed ere they reached Paris. It seemed, however, but three days. Lever told stories without end, and his companion found himself in almost one uninterrupted fit of laughter the whole time. In outlay Lever was lavish; Ducats were thrown everywhere that francs ought to have been given. Postilions received higher fees than physicians; and once, when some one urged him to be more economical, he fell into the opposite extreme by giving three sous to an ostler, who caused him great annoyance by the storm of wrath with which he acknowledged the gratuity.*

Lever, in his wonted pleasant way, remarked that, "Just as there are men most eager to become foxhunters, but who never can sit a fence, or fellows dying

* Twenty years previously, when a comparatively poor man, the same open hand distinguished him. "O'Malley" gives a glimpse of the weakness. "Halloo, Orderly !" cried I, from the window, as I hurriedly sealed it, 'take this note back, and here's a guinea for yourself.' So saying, I pitched into his ready hand one of the very few which remained to me in the world."