er seat.

Miss Todd rose with the usual little speech about leave-taking. She
had, as we have seen, intended to have gone in for a second innings
herself, but all hope of winning the game against Mrs. Leake was
over; even her courage was nearly upset; so making a little whisper
to Adela, she held out her hand to the old lady, and prepared to
depart.

"Dear me, you are in a great hurry to go," said Mrs. Leake.

"Yes; we are rather in a hurry this morning," said Miss Todd,
neglectful of the trumpet, "we have so many people to see."

"Well, good-bye; I'm very much obliged to you for coming, and Miss
Todd"--and here Mrs. Leake affected to whisper; but her whisper would
have been audible to a dozen, had a dozen been there--"I mustn't
forget to wish you joy about Sir Lionel. Good morning to you, Miss
Gaunt," and then Mrs. Leake dropt an old-fashioned gracious curtsy.

To say that Miss Todd blushed would be to belie the general rosiness
of that lady's complexion. She was all blush always. Over her face
colour of the highest was always flying. It was not only that her
cheeks carried a settled brilliant tint, but at every smile--and
Miss Todd was ever smiling--this tint would suffuse her forehead and
her neck; at every peal of laughter--and her peals of laughter were
innumerable--it would become brighter and brighter, coming and going,
or rather ever coming fresh and never going, till the reflection
from her countenance would illumine the whole room, and light up the
faces of all around her. But now she almost blushed black. She had
delighted hitherto in all the little bits of libellous tittle tattle
to which her position as a young old maid had given rise, and had
affected always to assist their propagation; but there was a poison
about this old female snake, a sting in the tongue of this old adder
which reached even her.

"The old fool!" said Miss Todd, by no means _sotto voce_.

Mrs. Leake heard her though the speaking trumpet was not in action.
"No, no, no," she said, in her most good-natured voice, "I don't
think he's such a fool at all. Of course he is old, and in want of
an income, no doubt. But then he's a knight you know, my dear, and a
colonel;" and then the two ladies, waiting for no further courtesies,
went back to their fly.

Miss Todd had quite regained her good-humour by the time she was
seated. "Well," said she, "what do you think of my friend, Mrs.
Leake?"

"What makes her so very spiteful?" asked Ad