aration.

"I wonder what he is like?" said Camilla, after a pause.

"Who?" asked Arabella.

"The gentleman," said Camilla.

"What gentleman?" demanded Arabella.

"I don't mean Mr. Trevelyan," said Camilla.

"I don't believe there really is,--eh,--is there?" said Mr. Gibson,
very timidly.

"Oh, dear, yes," said Arabella.

"I'm afraid there's something of the kind," said Camilla. "I've heard
that there is, and I've heard his name." Then she whispered very
closely into the ear of Mr. Gibson the words, "Colonel Osborne," as
though her lips were by far too pure to mention aloud any sound so
full of iniquity.

"Indeed!" said Mr. Gibson.

"But he's quite an old man," said Dorothy, "and knew her father
intimately before she was born. And, as far as I can understand, her
husband does not suspect her in the least. And it's only because
there's a misunderstanding between them, and not at all because of
the gentleman."

"Oh!" exclaimed Camilla.

"Ah!" exclaimed Arabella.

"That would make a difference," said Mr. Gibson.

"But for a married woman to have her name mentioned at all with a
gentleman,--it is so bad; is it not, Mr. Gibson?" And then Arabella
also had her whisper into the clergyman's ear,--very closely. "I'm
afraid there's not a doubt about the Colonel. I'm afraid not. I am
indeed."

"Two by honours and the odd, and it's my deal," said Miss Stanbury,
briskly, and the sharp click with which she put the markers down
upon the table was heard all through the room. "I don't want anybody
to tell me," she said, "that when a young woman is parted from her
husband, the chances are ten to one that she has been very foolish."

"But what's a woman to do, if her husband beats her?" said Mrs.
Crumbie.

"Beat him again," said Mrs. MacHugh.

"And the husband will be sure to have the worst of it," said Mr.
Crumbie. "Well, I declare, if you haven't turned up an honour again,
Miss Stanbury!"

"It was your wife that cut it to me, Mr. Crumbie." Then they were
again at once immersed in the play, and the name neither of Trevelyan
nor Osborne was heard till Miss Stanbury was marking her double under
the candlestick; but during all pauses in the game the conversation
went back to the same topic, and when the rubber was over they
who had been playing it lost themselves for ten minutes in the
allurements of the interesting subject. It was so singular a
coincidence that the lady should have gone to Nuncombe Putney of
all