n.

'Of two evils choose the least, they say,' observed Mr. Hautaine. 'Poor
Ponsonby could not help himself.'

'That's a very polite observation of yours, Mr. Hautaine--I thank you in
the name of the sex,' replied Cecilia Ossulton.

'Nay, Miss Ossulton; would you like to marry a person whom you never
saw?'

'Most certainly not; but when you mentioned the two evils, Mr. Hautaine,
I appeal to your honour, did you not refer to marriage or beggary?'

'I must confess it, Miss Ossulton; but it is hardly fair to call on my
honour to get me into a scrape.'

'I only wish that the offer had been made to me,' observed Vaughan; 'I
should not have hesitated as Ponsonby did.'

'Then I beg you will not think of proposing for me,' said Mrs.
Lascelles, laughing; for Mr. Vaughan had been excessively attentive.

'It appears to me, Vaughan,' observed Seagrove, 'that you have slightly
committed yourself by that remark.'

Vaughan, who thought so too, replied, 'Mrs. Lascelles must be aware that
I was only joking.'

'Fie! Mr. Vaughan,' cried Cecilia Ossulton; 'you know it came from your
heart.'

'My dear Cecilia,' said the elder Miss Ossulton, 'you forget
yourself--what can you possibly know about gentlemen's hearts?'

'The Bible says that they are "deceitful and desperately wicked," aunt.'

'And cannot we also quote the Bible against your sex, Miss Ossulton?'
replied Seagrove.

'Yes, you could, perhaps, if any of you had ever read it,' replied Miss
Ossulton carelessly.

'Upon my word, Cissy, you are throwing the gauntlet down to the
gentlemen,' observed Lord B.; 'but I shall throw my warder down, and not
permit this combat _a l'outrance_. I perceive you drink no more wine,
gentlemen; we will take our coffee on deck.'

[Illustration: _'Fie! Mr. Vaughan, cried Cecilia Ossulton; 'you know it
came from your heart.'_]

'We were just about to retire, my lord,' observed the elder Miss
Ossulton, with great asperity; 'I have been trying to catch the eye of
Mrs. Lascelles for some time, but----'

'I was looking another way, I presume,' interrupted Mrs. Lascelles,
smiling.

'I am afraid that I am the unfortunate culprit,' said Mr. Seagrove. 'I
was telling a little anecdote to Mrs. Lascelles----'

'Which, of course, from its being communicated in an undertone, was not
proper for all the company to hear,' replied the elder Miss Ossulton;
'but if Mrs. Lascelles is now ready----' continued she, bridling up, as
she rose from her ch