r
Miss Waddington. But though that match is off, another may come on.
I for one should be very happy. You don't know anything about it,
I see. I'll tell you some of these days. How do, Sir Lionel? You
mustn't stay long, because Miss Gauntlet and I am going out. Or I'll
tell you what. You shall take care of us. It's a beautiful day; and
if Miss Gauntlet likes, we'll walk instead of having the fly." Miss
Todd never aped grandeur, and always called her private carriage a
fly, because it had only one horse.

Sir Lionel, having made his salutations to Miss Gauntlet, declared
that he should be most happy to be trusted with their custody through
the streets of Littlebath.

"But we can't walk either, Miss Gauntlet, to-day, because I must call
on old Mrs. Leake, at Rissbury. I quite forgot Mrs. Leake. So you
see, Sir Lionel, we shan't want you after all."

Sir Lionel declared that this last decision made him quite miserable.

"You'll be recovered by dinner-time, I don't doubt," said Miss Todd.
"And now I'll go upstairs and put my bonnet on. As Miss Gauntlet has
got hers, you can stay and talk to her."

"Charming creature, Miss Todd; isn't she?" said Sir Lionel, before
the door was well closed. "Such freshness of character, so much
bonhommie--a little odd sometimes." These last words were not added
till Miss Todd's footsteps, heavier than Camilla's, were heard well
up the stairs.

"She seems to be a very good-natured person. I never saw her before
to-day."

"Did you not? We knew her very intimately in the Holy Land"--as if
any land ever was or could be holy to Sir Lionel and such as he.
"That is, George and I, and Caroline. Of course, you know all about
that Miss Waddington."

Adela signified to him that she did know the circumstances to which
he alluded.

"It is very sad, is it not? and then the connection between them
being so near; and their being the joint-heirs to such an enormous
property! I know the people here take Caroline's part, and say that
she has been hardly used. But I cannot say that I blame George; I
cannot, indeed."

"It is one of those cases in which no one should be blamed."

"Exactly--that is just what I say. My advice to George was this.
Don't let money influence your conduct in any way. Thank God, there's
enough of that for all of us! What you have to think of, is her
happiness and your own. That's what I said; and I do believe he took
my advice. I don't think he had any sordid views with re