gon to stop.

"As I was saying--a fortune from his grand-uncle. Now until then
provision must be made--"

"Really," said Mrs. Dagon, for Mrs. Newt was bewildered into silence by
the rapid conversation of Mrs. Dinks--"really, these are matters of
business which, I believe, are usually left to gentlemen."

"I know, of course, Mrs. Newt," continued the intrepid Mrs. Dinks,
utterly regardless of Mrs. Dagon, for she had fully considered her part,
and knew her own intentions, "that such things are generally arranged by
the gentlemen. But I think sensible women like you and I, mothers, too,
are quite as much interested in the matter as fathers can be. Our honor
is as much involved in the happiness of our children as their fathers'
is. So I have come to ask you, in a purely friendly and private manner,
what the chances for our dear children are?"

"I am sure I know nothing," answered Mrs. Newt; "I only know that Mr.
Newt is furious."

"Perfectly lunatic," added Aunt Dagon, in full view of Mrs. Dinks.

"Pity, pity!" returned Mrs. Dinks, with an air of compassionate
unconcern; "because these things can always be so easily settled.
I hope Mr. Newt won't suffer himself to be disturbed. Every thing
will come right."

"What does Mr. Dinks say?" feebly inquired Mrs. Newt.

"I really don't know," replied Mrs. Dinks, with a cool air of surprise
that any body should care what he thought--which made Mrs. Dagon almost
envious of her enemy, and which so impressed Mrs. Newt, who considered
the opinion of her husband as the only point of importance in the whole
affair, that she turned pale.

"I mean that his mind is so engrossed with other matters that he rarely
attends to the domestic details," added Mrs. Dinks, who had no desire of
frightening any of her new relatives. "Have you been to see Fanny yet?"

"No," returned Mrs. Newt, half-sobbing again, "I have only just heard of
it; and--and--I don't think Mr. Newt would wish me to go."

Mrs. Dinks raised her eyebrows, and again touched her face gently with
the handkerchief. Mrs. Dagon rubbed her glasses and waited, for she knew
very well that Mrs. Dinks had not yet discovered what she had come to
learn. The old General was not deceived by the light skirmishing.

"I am sorry not to have seen Mr. Newt before he went down town," began
Mrs. Dinks, after a pause. "But since we must all know these matters
sooner or later--that is to say, those of us whose business it is"--here
she glan