wished to have a conversation with you beneath a hedge, but only with the
view of procuring from you some information respecting the song which you
sung the other day, and the conduct of Roman females, which has always
struck me as being highly unaccountable, so, if you thought anything else
. . ."

"What else should I expect from a picker-up of old words, brother? Bah!
I dislike a picker-up of old words worse than a picker-up of old rags."

"Don't be angry, Ursula, I feel a great interest in you; you are very
handsome, and very clever; indeed, with your beauty and cleverness, I
only wonder that you have not long since been married."

"You do, do you, brother?"

"Yes. However, keep up your spirits, Ursula, you are not much past the
prime of youth, so . . ."

"Not much past the prime of youth! Don't be uncivil, brother; I was only
twenty-two last month."

"Don't be offended, Ursula, but twenty-two is twenty-two, or I should
rather say, that twenty-two in a woman is more than twenty-six in a man.
You are still very beautiful, but I advise you to accept the first offer
that's made to you."

"Thank you, brother, but your advice comes rather late; I accepted the
first offer that was made me five years ago."

"You married five years ago, Ursula! is it possible?"

"Quite possible, brother, I assure you."

"And how came I to know nothing about it?"

"How comes it that you don't know many thousand things about the Romans,
brother? Do you think they tell you all their affairs?"

"Married, Ursula, married! well, I declare!"

"You seem disappointed, brother."

"Disappointed! Oh, no! not at all; but Jasper, only a few weeks ago,
told me that you were not married; and, indeed, almost gave me to
understand that you would be very glad to get a husband."

"And you believed him? I'll tell you, brother, for your instruction,
that there is not in the whole world a greater liar than Jasper
Petulengro."

"I am sorry to hear it, Ursula; but with respect to him you married--who
might he be? A gorgio, or a Romany chal?"

"Gorgio, or Romany chal? Do you think I would ever condescend to a
gorgio? It was a Camomescro, brother, a Lovell, a distant relation of my
own."

"And where is he; and what became of him? Have you any family?"

"Don't think I am going to tell you all my history, brother; and, to tell
you the truth, I am tired of sitting under hedges with you, talking
nonsense. I shall go to my house."

"Do