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of whose appearance far exceeded any thing they had ever beheld. It seemed as if he had had a recent fall from some vehicle, for part of his garments were covered with mud: one leg was tightly bound with a red handkerchief, and the opposite arm hung useless in a sling. A green shade to defend his eyes, contrasted with a face the colour of the autumnal leaf, completed the effect of his unique costume.

"Miss O'Reilly, I am beatified!-Miss Southwell, I stand astounded at this excess of unexpected goodness!" exclaimed Pendennis, rising in some confusion. "Allow me to present my nephew, just arrived within these few minutes: an unlucky fall from the top of the coach has unfortunately rendered Cobham less neat in his habiliments than he would wish to be on a first introduction to such distinguished ladies."

Miss Southwell, in whom the gratification of her turn for ridicule assumed the appearance of good-humour, begged she

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might be no interruption to what was going forward; and, thus encouraged, Pendennis resumed his examination, which was on the subject of mnemonics." I trust, my dear nephew," he said, “ that, as you are to be my assistant, and, as it were, second self, in an institution so superior to any thing that has been known here, you have not neglected a science so useful in its application, whether to history, geography, poetry, or the drama. I will suppose now that you had a class to examine -how would you imprint on the memories of your pupils the names of the five Scythian colonies-the Partholan, the Ne median, the Firbolgian, the Danan, and the Milesian, that are said successively to have possessed themselves of Ireland?" "How!" replied Cobham, in a startling voice. Why, after fixing in mind an hundred and fifty mnemonical symbols, and taking care to localize each in its proper compartment, I would form associa tions with these hieroglyphics, and with

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the

the technical words, to enable myself to synchronize-I mean to localize, my ideas, so as to reply with chronological precision to any question respecting a date or a name, by means of their respective technicalities, localities, and symbols: and now, having proved myself an adept in the science of mnemonics, we will, with your good leave, uncle, as there are ladies present, turn to metal more attractive. You propose to act plays, I presume, at Mount Parnassus. Shall I give a specimen of my talents in recitation? To begin with- My name is Norval

No,

that is an unpromising commencement→→ an' uphill speech,' as the players call it. We will have something more dashing and brilliant: the famous address of Alexander the Great, for instance;" and, with out taking breath, our dramatic tyro began-Can none remember? Yes, I know all must Beg pardon, ladies-protest I cannot remember another word, for one. There

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There is something about- Stemm'd the
Granic flood'Oh, now I have it—

'When Fortune's self my standard trembling bore,
And the pale Fates stood frighted on the shore;
When each immortal through the billows rode,
And I myself appear'd-

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"And you yourself appeared! No, it was I myself appeared," a voice exclaimed, "to assert my name and character.”

Advancing towards his uncle, in manifest perturbation of spirits, a sallow awkwardlooking young man presented himself, and exclaimed, in a tone of ludicrous dismay

"Oh, uncle! did not I warn you of Diana's tricks?" At the same moment, approaching the daring impostor, he dextrously raised, with his finger and thumb, a light wig that covered the head of his most unworthy representative, and discovered the crop of black ringlets that shaded the countenance of Diana Pendennis. Her naturally-fresh complexion she had stained of a yellow colour, and when the

green

green shade was removed, her features bore a striking similitude to those of her brother Cobham, whom, in size and stature, she also resembled.

Pendennis, who had felt heartily ashamed of the apparent vanity and incapacity of his nephew, was inclined, on account of the relief given to his mind, to forgive the trick, which, on being surrounded and questioned, Diana explained, briefly, as follows:-They had embarked for Ireland at the time specified in Cobham's letter; and during their journey down to Limerick, she had been so tired with her brother's boasts respecting the important character he was to sustain at the classical institution, that she was tempted, on arriving at Glenartrey, to procure him a mortification, by giving her uncle an unfavourable impression of him. Chance seconded her plan, by enabling her to proceed to Mount Parnassus, unaccompanied, yet unsuspected. Her youngest sister, Olivia, was so overcome with the fa

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