or by watching the paces of some brutes of horses! And they consider
themselves to be fine gentlemen! A real gentleman should never want
the money out of another man's pocket;--should never think of money
at all."

"I don't know how that is to be helped, my dear. You have got to
think of money."

"Yes; I have to think of it, and do think of it; and because I do so
I am not what I call a gentleman."

"No;--my dear; you're a lady."

"Psha! you know what I mean. I might have had the feelings of a
gentleman as well as the best man that ever was born. I haven't;
but I have never done anything so mean as gambling. Now I have got
something else to tell you."

"What is it? You do frighten me so when you look like that."

"You may well be frightened,--for if this all comes round I shall
very soon be able to dispense with you altogether. His Royal Highness
Lord Silverbridge--"

"What do you mean, Mabel?"

"He's next door to a Royal Highness at any rate, and a much more
topping man than most of them. Well then;--His Serene Highness the
heir of the Duke of Omnium has done me the inexpressible honour of
asking me--to marry him."

"No!"

"You may well say, No. And to tell the truth exactly, he didn't."

"Then why do you say he did?"

"I don't think he did quite ask me, but he gave me to understand that
he would do so if I gave him any encouragement."

"Did he mean it?"

"Yes;--poor boy! He meant it. With a word;--with a look, he would
have been down there kneeling. He asked me whether I liked him well
enough. What do you think I did?"

"What did you do?"

"I spared him;--out of sheer downright Christian charity! I said to
myself 'Love your neighbours.' 'Don't be selfish.' 'Do unto him as
you would he should do unto you,'--that is, think of his welfare.
Though I had him in my net, I let him go. Shall I go to heaven for
doing that?"

"I don't know," said Miss Cassewary, who was so much perturbed by
the news she had heard as to be unable to come to any opinion on the
point just raised.

"Or mayn't I rather go to the other place? From how much
embarrassment should I have relieved my father! What a friend I
should have made for Percival! How much I might have been able to do
for Frank! And then what a wife I should have made him!"

"I think you would."

"He'll never get another half so good; and he'll be sure to get one
before long. It is a sort of tenderness that is quite inefficacious.
He will become a pre