f Miss Stanbury's slaves. I never believed
it, Mr. Gibson." This she said with a sad smile, that ought to have
brought him on his knees, in spite of the chignon.

"One can't help these things," said Mr. Gibson.

"I never could have believed it;--not even if you had not given me an
assurance so solemn, and so sweet, that there was nothing in it." The
poor man had given the assurance, and could not deny the solemnity
and the sweetness. "That was a happy moment for us, Mr. Gibson;
because, though we never believed it, when it was dinned into our
ears so frequently, when it was made such a triumph in the Close, it
was impossible not to fear that there might be something in it." He
felt that he ought to make some reply, but he did not know what to
say. He was thoroughly ashamed of the lie he had told, but he could
not untell it. "Camilla reproached me afterwards for asking you,"
whispered Arabella, in her softest, tenderest voice. "She said
that it was unmaidenly. I hope you did not think it unmaidenly, Mr.
Gibson?"

"Oh dear no;--not at all," said he.

Arabella French was painfully alive to the fact that she must do
something. She had her fish on the hook; but of what use is a fish
on your hook, if you cannot land him? When could she have a better
opportunity than this of landing the scaly darling out of the fresh
and free waters of his bachelor stream, and sousing him into the pool
of domestic life, to be ready there for her own household purposes?
"I had known you so long, Mr. Gibson," she said, "and had valued your
friendship so--so deeply." As he looked at her he could see nothing
but the shapeless excrescence to which his eyes had been so painfully
called by Miss Stanbury's satire. It is true that he had formerly
been very tender with her, but she had not then carried about with
her that distorted monster. He did not believe himself to be at all
bound by anything which had passed between them in circumstances
so very different. But yet he ought to say something. He ought to
have said something; but he said nothing. She was patient, however,
very patient; and she went on playing him with her hook. "I am so
glad that I did not go out to-night with mamma. It has been such a
pleasure to me to have this conversation with you. Camilla, perhaps,
would say that I am--unmaidenly."

"I don't think so."

"That is all that I care for, Mr. Gibson. If you acquit me, I do
not mind who accuses. I should not like to suppose tha