it.
"My dear Lizzie," Mrs. Carbuncle said, "the dear girl won't have an
ounce more than she would have got, had you gone into another sort of
shop with thirty-five sovereigns in your hand." Lizzie growled, but
Mrs. Carbuncle's final argument was conclusive. "I'll tell you what
we'll do," said she; "we'll take thirty pounds down in ready money."
There was no answer to be made to so reasonable a proposition.

The presents to be made to Lucinda were very much thought of in
Hertford Street at this time, and Lizzie,--independently of any
feeling that she might have as to her own contribution,--did all she
could to assist the collection of tribute. It was quite understood
that as a girl can only be married once,--for a widow's chance in
such matters amounts to but little,--everything should be done to
gather toll from the tax-payers of society. It was quite fair on such
an occasion that men should be given to understand that something
worth having was expected,--no trumpery thirty-shilling piece of
crockery, no insignificant glass bottle, or fantastic paper-knife
of no real value whatever, but got up just to put money into the
tradesmen's hands. To one or two elderly gentlemen upon whom Mrs.
Carbuncle had smiled, she ventured to suggest in plain words that a
cheque was the most convenient cadeau. "What do you say to a couple
of sovereigns?" one sarcastic old gentleman replied, upon whom
probably Mrs. Carbuncle had not smiled enough. She laughed and
congratulated her sarcastic friend upon his joke;--but the two
sovereigns were left upon the table, and went to swell the spoil.

"You must do something handsome for Lucinda," Lizzie said to her
cousin.

"What do you call handsome?"

"You are a bachelor and a Member of Parliament. Say fifteen pounds."

"I'll be ---- if I do!" said Frank, who was beginning to be very much
disgusted with the house in Hertford Street. "There's a five-pound
note, and you may do what you please with it." Lizzie gave over the
five-pound note,--the identical bit of paper that had come from
Frank; and Mrs. Carbuncle, no doubt, did do what she pleased with it.

There was almost a quarrel because Lizzie, after much consideration,
declared that she did not see her way to get a present from the Duke
of Omnium. She had talked so much to Mrs. Carbuncle about the duke,
that Mrs. Carbuncle was almost justified in making the demand. "It
isn't the value, you know," said Mrs. Carbuncle; "neither I nor
Lucinda