y it for goodness' sake,' returned the young lady.

'I am convinced, my dear Amy,' said Mr Sparkler, 'that if ever there
was a girl, next to your highly endowed and beautiful sister, who had no
nonsense about her--'

'We know all about that, Edmund,' interposed Miss Fanny. 'Never mind
that. Pray go on to something else besides our having no nonsense about
us.'

'Yes, my love,' said Mr Sparkler. 'And I assure you, Amy, that nothing
can be a greater happiness to myself, myself--next to the happiness of
being so highly honoured with the choice of a glorious girl who hasn't
an atom of--'

'Pray, Edmund, pray!' interrupted Fanny, with a slight pat of her pretty
foot upon the floor.

'My love, you're quite right,' said Mr Sparkler, 'and I know I have a
habit of it. What I wished to declare was, that nothing can be a greater
happiness to myself, myself-next to the happiness of being united to
pre-eminently the most glorious of girls--than to have the happiness
of cultivating the affectionate acquaintance of Amy. I may not myself,'
said Mr Sparkler manfully, 'be up to the mark on some other subjects
at a short notice, and I am aware that if you were to poll Society the
general opinion would be that I am not; but on the subject of Amy I am
up to the mark!'

Mr Sparkler kissed her, in witness thereof.

'A knife and fork and an apartment,' proceeded Mr Sparkler, growing, in
comparison with his oratorical antecedents, quite diffuse, 'will ever
be at Amy's disposal. My Governor, I am sure, will always be proud to
entertain one whom I so much esteem. And regarding my mother,' said Mr
Sparkler, 'who is a remarkably fine woman, with--'

'Edmund, Edmund!' cried Miss Fanny, as before.

'With submission, my soul,' pleaded Mr Sparkler. 'I know I have a habit
of it, and I thank you very much, my adorable girl, for taking the
trouble to correct it; but my mother is admitted on all sides to be a
remarkably fine woman, and she really hasn't any.'

'That may be, or may not be,' returned Fanny, 'but pray don't mention it
any more.'

'I will not, my love,' said Mr Sparkler.

'Then, in fact, you have nothing more to say, Edmund; have you?'
inquired Fanny.

'So far from it, my adorable girl,' answered Mr Sparkler, 'I apologise
for having said so much.'

Mr Sparkler perceived, by a kind of inspiration, that the question
implied had he not better go? He therefore withdrew the fraternal
railing, and neatly said that he thought he wo