s me very comfortable."

"Does it? Ah! me; I wish I could make myself comfortable."

"I should have thought, seeing you so much in Mrs Stumfold's house--"

"I have the greatest veneration for that woman, Miss Mackenzie! I
have sometimes thought that of all the human beings I have ever met,
she is the most perfect; she is human, and therefore a sinner, but
her sins never meet my eyes."

Miss Mackenzie, who did not herself regard Mrs Stumfold as being so
much better than her neighbours, could not receive this with much
rapture.

"But," continued Mr Maguire, "she is as cold--as cold--as cold as
ice."

As the lady in question was another man's wife, this did not seem
to Miss Mackenzie to be of much consequence to Mr Maguire, but she
allowed him to go on.

"Stumfold I don't think minds it; he is of that joyous disposition
that all things work to good for him. Even when she's most obdurate
in her sternness to him--"

"Law! Mr Maguire, I did not think she was ever stern to him."

"But she is, very hard. Even then I don't think he minds it much.
But, Miss Mackenzie, that kind of companion would not do for me at
all. I think a woman should be soft and soothing, like a dove."

She did not stop to think whether doves are soothing, but she felt
that the language was pretty.

Just at this moment she was summoned by Miss Baker, and looking up
she perceived that Mr and Mrs Fuzzybell were already leaving the
room.

"I don't know why you need disturb Miss Mackenzie," said Miss Todd,
"she has only got to go next door, and she seems very happy just
now."

"I would sooner go with Miss Baker," said Miss Mackenzie.

"Mr Maguire would see you home," suggested Miss Todd.

But Miss Mackenzie of course went with Miss Baker, and Mr Rubb
accompanied them.

"Good-night, Mr Rubb," said Miss Todd; "and don't make very bad
reports of us in London."

"Oh! no; indeed I won't."

"For though we do play cards, we still stick to decorum, as you must
have observed to-night."

At Miss Mackenzie's door there was an almost overpowering amount of
affectionate farewells. Mr Maguire was there as well as Mr Rubb, and
both gentlemen warmly pressed the hand of the lady they were leaving.
Mr Rubb was not quite satisfied with his evening's work, because he
had not been able to get near to Miss Mackenzie; but, nevertheless,
he was greatly gratified by the general manner in which he had been
received, and was much pleased with Littlebath and it