r, heard
this. "But I want you to tell me something about this Caroline
Waddington. Isn't it true she's got another lover already?"

"Oh, quite true; she's going to be married."

"Wants to be married. Yes, I don't doubt she wants to be married.
That's what they all want, only some are not able to manage it. Ha!
ha! ha! I beg your pardon, Miss Gaunt; but we old women must have our
joke about the young ones; mustn't we, Miss Todd?" Mrs. Leake, be it
noticed, was past seventy, whereas, our dear Miss Todd, was only just
forty-four.

"Miss Gauntlet can tell you all about Miss Waddington," said Miss
Todd, in her very plainest voice. "They are very great friends, and
correspond with each other." So Miss Todd handed over the spout of
the trumpet.

"She was corresponding with another! I dare say she was; with half a
dozen at once. Do you know anything about it, Miss Gaunt?"

Poor Adela! what was she to say or do. Her hand absolutely trembled
as she put it lightly to the instrument. Thrice she bent her head
down before she was able to say anything, and thrice she lifted it up
in despair.

"Is it the lady or the gentleman that is a friend of yours, my dear?
or which of the gentlemen? I hope she has not robbed you of a beau."

"Miss Waddington is a very dear friend of mine, ma'am."

"Oh; she is, is she?"

"And I know Mr. Bertram also."

"Is he a dear friend too? Well, I suppose he's disengaged now. But
they tell me he's got nothing, eh?"

"I really don't know."

"It's very hard to know; very. I don't much admire such jilts myself,
but--"

"Miss Waddington did not jilt him, madam."

"Then he jilted her. That's just what I want to come at. I'm very
much obliged to you, my dear. I see you can tell me all about it. It
was about money, wasn't it?"

"No," shouted Adela, with an energy that quite surprised herself.
"Money had nothing to do with it."

"I did not say you had anything to do with it. But don't take up that
habit of holloing from Miss Todd. I suppose the truth was that he
found out what he wasn't meant to find out. Men shouldn't be too
inquisitive; should they, Miss Todd? You are quite right, Miss Gaunt,
don't have anything to do with it; it's a bad affair."

"I think you are very much mistaken, madam," said Adela, again
shouting. But it was all thrown away. "I can't hear a word, when you
hollo in that way, not a word," said Mrs. Leake. And then Adela, with
an imploring look at Miss Todd, relinquished h