e
thrown away upon you, not to be easily deceived again."

"How, deceived?" exclaimed Kate. "She was very ill. I saw it myself."

"Nonsense, child. The trick is the very stalest piece of roguery going.
Since Toe Morris, as they call him the man that treads upon people, and
by his apologies scrapes acquaintance with them there is nothing less
original. Why, just before we left England, there was old Bankhead got
into Slingsby House, merely because the newspapers might announce
his death at the Earl of Grindleton's 'on the eighth, of a few days'
illness, deeply regretted by the noble lord, with whom he was on a
visit.' Now, that dear Ricketts woman would almost consent to take leave
of the world for a similar paragraph. I 'm sure I should know nothing of
such people but that Sir Stafford's relations have somewhat enlightened
me. He has a nest of cousins down in Shropshire, not a whit better than
your I was going to call them 'your friends,' the Rickettses."

"It is almost incredible to suppose this could be artifice."

"Why so, child? There is no strategy too deep for people who are always
aspiring to some society above them. Besides, after all, I was in a
measure prepared for this."

"Prepared for it!"

"Yes; Jekyl told me that if they once got in, it would be next to
impossible to keep them out afterwards. A compromise, he said, was the
best thing; to let them have so many days each year, with certain small
privileges about showing the house to strangers, cutting bouquets, and
so on; or, if we preferred it, let them carry away a Teniers or a Gerard
Dow to copy, and take care never to ask for it. He inclined to the
latter as the better plan, because, after a certain lapse of time, it
can end in a cut."

"But this is inconceivable!" exclaimed Kate.

"And yet half the absurd and incongruous intimacies one sees in the
world have had some such origin, and habit will reconcile one to
acquaintance that at first inspired feelings of abhorrence and
detestation. I 'm sure I don 't know one good house in town where there
are not certain intimates that have not the slightest pretension, either
from rank, wealth, distinction, or social qualities, to be there. And
yet, there they are; not merely as supernumeraries, either, but very
prominent and foreground figures, giving advice and offering counsel
on questions of family policy, and writing their vulgar names on every
will, codicil, marriage-settlement, and trust-deed, till