you are going to
marry, and live happy ever after, like a fairy tale."

"It is possible I may be guilty of that additional enormity," said the
Curate, "which, at all events, will not be your doing, my dear aunt, if
I might suggest a consolation. You cannot help such things happening,
but, at least, it should be a comfort to feel you have done nothing to
bring them about."

To which Miss Leonora answered by another hard breath of mingled disdain
and resentment. "Whatever I have brought about, I have tried to do what
I thought my duty," she said. "It has always seemed to me a very poor
sort of virtue that expects a reward for doing what it ought to do. I
don't say you haven't behaved very well in this business, but you've
done nothing extraordinary; and why I should have rushed out of my way
to reward you for it--Oh, yes, I know you did not expect anything," said
Miss Leonora; "you have told me as much on various occasions, Frank. You
have, of course, always been perfectly independent, and scorned to
flatter your old aunts by any deference to their convictions; and, to be
sure, it is nothing to you any little pang they may feel at having to
dispose otherwise of a living that has always been in the family. You
are of the latest fashion of Anglicanism, and we are only a parcel of
old women. It was not to be expected that our antiquated ideas could be
worth as much to you as a parcel of flowers and trumpery--"

These were actually tears which glittered in Miss Leonora's eyes of
fiery hazel grey--tears of very diminutive size, totally unlike the
big dewdrops which rained from Miss Dora's placid orbs and made them
red, but did _her_ no harm--but still a real moisture, forced out of a
fountain which lay very deep down and inaccessible to ordinary
efforts. They made her eyes look rather fiercer than otherwise for the
moment; but they all but impeded Miss Leonora's speech, and struck
with the wildest consternation the entire party at the table,
including even Lewis, who stood transfixed in the act of drawing a
bottle of soda-water, and, letting the cork escape him in his
amazement, brought affairs to an unlooked-for climax by hitting Miss
Wentworth, who had been looking on with interest without taking any
part in the proceedings. When the fright caused by this unintentional
shot had subsided, Miss Leonora was found to have entirely recovered
herself; but not so the Perpetual Curate, who had changed colour
wonderfully, and no l