y house, who was introduced to him by me,--a young lady
not above thirty years of age, and quite suitable in every way to be
Mr Maguire's wife. She may not have quite so much money as you; but
she has a fair provision, and money is not everything; a lady in
every way suitable--"

"But is this suitable young lady, who is only thirty years of age,
engaged to him?"

"I presume, Miss Mackenzie, that in speaking to you, I am speaking to
a lady who would not wish to interfere with another lady who has been
before her. I do hope that you cannot be indifferent to the ordinary
feelings of a female Christian on that subject. What would you think
if you were interfered with, though, perhaps, as you had not your
fortune in early life, you may never have known what that was."

This was too much even for Miss Mackenzie.

"Mrs Stumfold," she said, again rising from her seat, "I won't talk
about this any more with you. Mr Maguire is nothing to me; and, as
far as I can see, if he was, that would be nothing to you."

"But it would,--a great deal."

"No, it wouldn't. You may say what you like to him, though, for the
matter of that, I think it a very indelicate thing for a lady to go
about raising such questions at all. But perhaps you have known him a
long time, and I have nothing to do with what you and he choose to
talk about. If he is behaving bad to any friend of yours, go and tell
him so. As for me, I won't hear anything more about it."

As Miss Mackenzie continued to stand, Mrs Stumfold was forced to
stand also, and soon afterwards found herself compelled to go away.
She had, indeed, said all that she had come to say, and though she
would willingly have repeated it again had Miss Mackenzie been
submissive, she did not find herself encouraged to do so by the
rebellious nature of the lady she was visiting.

"I have meant well, Miss Mackenzie," she said as she took her
leave, "and I hope that I shall see you just the same as ever on my
Thursdays."

To this Miss Mackenzie made answer only by a curtsey, and then Mrs
Stumfold went her way.

Miss Mackenzie, as soon as she was left to herself, began to cry.
If Mrs Stumfold could have seen her, how it would have soothed and
rejoiced that lady's ruffled spirit! Miss Mackenzie would sooner have
died than have wept in Mrs Stumfold's presence, but no sooner was the
front door closed than she began. To have been attacked at all in
that way would have been too much for her, but to hav