it is so many people
have known of this."

"You mean down here."

"Oh;--everywhere. I have never told them. It has been a kind of
family affair and thought to be fit for general discussions."

"That'll wear away."

"In the meantime it's a bore. But that shall be the end of it. Don't
you say another word to me about it, and I won't to you. And tell
mother not to, or Sarah." Sarah was John Fletcher's wife. "It has
got to be dropped, and let us drop it as quickly as we can. If she
does marry this man I don't suppose she'll be much at Longbarns or
Wharton."

"Not at Longbarns certainly, I should say," replied John. "Fancy
mother having to curtsey to her as Mrs. Lopez! And I doubt whether
Sir Alured would like him. He isn't of our sort. He's too clever,
too cosmopolitan,--a sort of man white-washed of all prejudices, who
wouldn't mind whether he ate horseflesh or beef if horseflesh were as
good as beef, and never had an association in his life. I'm not sure
that he's not on the safest side. Good night, old fellow. Pluck up,
and send us plenty of grouse if you do go to Scotland."

John Fletcher, as I hope may have been already seen, was by no
means a weak man or an indifferent brother. He was warm-hearted,
sharp-witted, and, though perhaps a little self-opinionated,
considered throughout the county to be one of the most prudent in
it. Indeed no one ever ventured to doubt his wisdom on all practical
matters,--save his mother, who seeing him almost every day, had a
stronger bias towards her younger son. "Arthur has been hit hard
about that girl," he said to his wife that night.

"Emily Wharton?"

"Yes;--your cousin Emily. Don't say anything to him, but be as good
to him as you know how."

"Good to Arthur! Am I not always good to him?"

"Be a little more than usually tender with him. It makes one almost
cry to see such a fellow hurt like that. I can understand it, though
I never had anything of it myself."

"You never had, John," said the wife leaning close upon the husband's
breast as she spoke. "It all came very easily to you;--too easily
perhaps."

"If any girl had ever refused me, I should have taken her at her
word, I can tell you. There would have been no second 'hop' to that
ball."

"Then I suppose I was right to catch it the first time?"

"I don't say how that may be."

"I was right. Oh, dear me!--Suppose I had doubted, just for once, and
you had gone off. You would have tried once more;--wouldn't y