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Excerpt from The Popular Member, the Wheel of Fortune, Etc, Vol. 3 of 3 Apston, however, still beheld them in its mind's eye as the élz'te Of the British army; and, now that there was an imme diate probability of an introduction to Cap tain Erskine, scarcely wondered at the tri umphant joy Of Miss Lavinia, or the zeal with which the gilt frames and looking glasses of the White House were unpa pered, and its lustres and girandoles released from their canvas-bags, in order to do ho nour to him who was about to do so great an honour to them all. The idea Of pos sessing familiarly by their firesides a man still reeking from the smoke Of the cannon Of Soult, - a man fresh from the razing Of cities and sacking Of convents, - was almost too much for the sensibility Of a circle to whom even a militia-officer was a rarity. The younger misses only trusted he might not prove the martial and ferocious for their susceptibility; the elder ones saw, with envious feelings, that Miss Lavinia was no longer ashamed, though her enemies spoke to' her in the gate. On the evening it was known that Cap tain Erskine would arrive at the White House by the London coach, all Apston held its breath with 'emotion. By the middle Of the followmg day, one began to inquire Of the other, whether the swash buckler Captain had been seen, and whether civilians might presume to lift their eyes in his presence. When 10! It transpired that the man, who was either the memo rable cousin Of Miss Lavinia or an impostor, was scarcely above the middle height, mea gre in person, and sallow Of countenance; low-voiced as a woman, and shy as a girl Dr. Toddles protested there was no getting a word out Of him; and the three Misses Prebbles, who lodged opposite, insinuated that, instead of coming to. Apston with killing intentions, the gallant Captain was evidently come there to die; afflicted with an incipient jaundice, or far gone in a de cline. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of t