nd Miss Forrester sang a few songs. Mr Hall in the meantime went
fast asleep. John Gordon couldn't but tell himself that his evenings
at Kimberley were, as a rule, quite as exciting. But then Kattie
Forrester did not belong to him, and he had not found himself able
as yet to make a choice between the young ladies. It was, however,
interesting to see the manner in which the new vicar hung about the
lady of his love, and the evident but innocent pride with which she
accepted the attentions of her admirer.

"Don't you think she's a beautiful girl?" said Blake, coming
to Gordon's room after they had all retired to bed; "such
genuine wit, and so bright, and her singing, you know, is quite
perfect,--absolutely just what it ought to be. I do know something
about singing myself, because I've had all the parish voices under my
own charge for the last three years. A practice like that goes a long
way, you know." To this Mr Gordon could only give that assent which
silence is intended to imply. "She'll have L5000 at once, you know,
which does make her in a manner equal to either of the Miss Halls. I
don't quite know what they'll have, but not more than that, I should
think. The property is entailed, and he's a saving man. But if he can
have put by L20,000, he has done very well; don't you think so?"

"Very well indeed."

"I suppose I might have had one of them; I don't mind telling you in
strictest confidence. But, goodness gracious, after I had once seen
Kattie Forrester, there was no longer a doubt. I wish you'd tell me
what you think about her."

"About Miss Forrester?"

"You needn't mind speaking quite openly to me. I'm that sort of
fellow that I shouldn't mind what any fellow said. I've formed my
own ideas, and am not likely to change them. But I should like
to hear, you know, how she strikes a fellow who has been at the
diamond-fields. I cannot imagine but that you must have a different
idea about women to what we have." Then Mr Blake sat himself down in
an arm-chair at the foot of the bed, and prepared himself to discuss
the opinion which he did not doubt that his friend was about to
deliver.

"A very nice young woman indeed," said John Gordon, who was anxious
to go to bed.

"Ah, you know,--that's a kind of thing that anybody can say. There
is no real friendship in that. I want to know the true candid
opinion of a man who has travelled about the world, and has been
at the diamond-fields. It isn't everybody who has