ela.

"Why, you see, my dear, she'd be nothing if she wasn't spiteful. It's
her fate. She's very old, and she lives there by herself, and she
doesn't go out much, and she has nothing to amuse her. If she didn't
do that, she couldn't do anything. I rather like it myself."

"Well, I can't say I like it," said Adela; and then they sat silent
for a time, Miss Todd the while reflecting whether she would, in any
way, defend herself from that imputation about Sir Lionel.

"But you see what sort of a woman she is, Miss Gauntlet; and, of
course, you must not believe a word that she says."

"How very dreadful!"

"Oh; it does not mean anything. I call all those white lies. Nobody
notices them. But what she said about Sir Lionel, you know--"

"I really shall not think of anything she said."

"But I must explain to you," said Miss Todd, in whose mind, in spite
of her blushing, a certain amount of pleasure was mixed with the
displeasure which Mrs. Leake's scandal had caused her. For at this
moment Sir Lionel was not a little thought of at Littlebath, and
among the Lucretias there assembled, there was many a one who would
have felt but small regret in abandoning her maiden meditations at
the instance of Sir Lionel Bertram.

"But I must explain to you. Sir Lionel does come to see me very
often; and I should think there was something in it--or, rather, I
shouldn't be surprised at others thinking so--only that I am quite
sure that he's thinking of somebody else."

"Is he?" asked Adela, perhaps not with a great deal of animation.

"Yes; and I'll tell you who that somebody else is. Mind, I shouldn't
say anything about it if I wasn't sure; that is almost sure; for one
never can be quite sure about anything."

"Then I don't think one ought to talk about people."

"Oh, that's all very well. But then, at such a place as Littlebath,
one would have to hold one's tongue altogether. I let people talk of
me, and so I talk about them. One can't live without it, my dear. But
I don't say things like Mrs. Leake."

"I'm sure you don't."

"But now about Sir Lionel; can't you guess who it is?"

"How should I, Miss Todd? I don't know a person in Littlebath except
you and Miss Baker."

"There; now you have guessed it; I knew you would. Don't say I told
you."

"Miss Baker marry Sir Lionel!"

"Yes, Miss Baker marry Sir Lionel! and why not? Why shouldn't she?
and why shouldn't he? I think it would be very wise. I think those
sort of mar