on her own account, but
because Rachel Ray had been tired. Then she said a nice good-natured
genial word or two about Rachel Ray and her performance on that
occasion. "It seemed to me," she added, "that a certain young
gentleman was quite smitten."

Then Mrs. Tappitt's brow became black as thunder, and Mrs. Cornbury
knew at once that she had trodden on unsafe ground,--on ground which
she should specially have avoided.

"We are all aware," Mrs. Tappitt said, "that the certain young
gentleman behaved very badly,--disgracefully, I may say;--but it
wasn't our fault, Mrs. Cornbury."

"Upon my word, Mrs. Tappitt, I didn't see anything amiss."

"I'm afraid everybody saw it. Indeed, everybody has been talking of
it ever since. As regards him, what he did then was only of a piece
with his general conduct, which it doesn't become me to name in
the language which it deserves. His behaviour to Mr. T. has been
shameful;--quite shameful."

"I had heard something, but I did not know there was anything like
that. I'm so sorry I mentioned his name."

"He has disagreed with papa about the brewery business," said Martha.

"It's more than that, Martha, as you know very well," continued Mrs.
Tappitt, still speaking in her great heat. "He has shown himself bad
in every way,--giving himself airs all over the town, and then going
away without paying his debts."

"I don't think we know that, mamma."

"Everybody says so. Your own father heard Sam Griggs say with his own
ears that there was a shop bill left there of I don't know how long.
But that's nothing to us. He came here under false pretences, and now
he's been turned out, and we don't want to have any more to do with
him. But, Mrs. Cornbury, I am sorry about that poor foolish girl."

"I didn't think her poor or foolish at all," said Mrs. Cornbury, who
had quite heart enough to forget the vote her husband wanted in her
warmth for her young friend.

"I must say, then, I did;--I thought her very foolish, and I didn't
at all like the way she went on in my house and before my girls. And
as for him, he doesn't think of her any more than he thinks of me. In
the first place, he's engaged to another girl."

"We are not quite sure that he's engaged, mamma," said Martha.

"I don't know what you call being sure, my dear. I can't say I've
ever heard it sworn to, on oath. But his sister Mary told your sister
Augusta that he was. I think that's pretty good evidence. But, Mrs.
Cornbury,