ft the house to inform Mr Hall of his intended
marriage. When once the word should have passed his mouth, he could
not live under the stigma of a second Catherine Bailey.

"Miss Lawrie, pray let me make you known to my intended." This came
from Mr Montagu Blake, who felt himself to be justified by his
peculiar circumstances in so far taking upon himself the work of
introducing the guests in Mr Hall's house. "Of course, you've heard
all about it. I am the happiest young man in Hampshire,--and she is
the next."

"Speak for yourself, Montagu. I am not a young man at all."

"You're a young man's darling, which is the next thing to it."

"How are you, Whittlestaff?" said Mr Hall. "Wonderful weather, isn't
it? I'm told that you've been in trouble about that drunken husband
which plagues the life out of that respectable housekeeper of yours."

"He is a trouble; but if he is bad to me, how much worse must he be
to her?"

"That's true. He must be very bad, I should think. Miss Mary, why
don't you come over this fine weather, and have tea with my girls and
Kattie Forrester in the woods? You should take your chance while you
have a young man willing to wait upon you."

"I shall be quite delighted," said Blake, "and so will John Gordon."

"Only that I shall be in London this time to-morrow," said Gordon.

"That's nonsense. You are not going to Kimberley all at once. The
young ladies expect you to bring out a lot of diamonds and show them
before you start. Have you seen his diamonds, Miss Lawrie?"

"Indeed no," said Mary.

"I think I should have asked just to see them," said Evelina Hall.
Why should they join her name with his in this uncivil manner, or
suppose that she had any special power to induce him to show his
treasures.

"When you first find a diamond," said Mr Hall, "what do you do with
it? Do you ring a bell and call together your friends, and begin to
rejoice."

"No, indeed. The diamond is generally washed out of the mud by some
nigger, and we have to look very sharp after him to see that he
doesn't hide it under his toe-nails. It's not a very romantic kind of
business from first to last."

"Only profitable," said the curate.

"That's as may be. It is subject to greater losses than the preaching
of sermons."

"I should like to go out and see it all," said Miss Hall, looking
into Miss Lawrie's face. This also appeared to Mary to be
ill-natured.

Then the butler announced the dinner, and they all foll