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alone,--over that same road, you know. And I stopped at the farm-house again, and saw the old woman we had the talk with. She remembered us, and asked me what had become of the young lady who was with me before. I told her you were gone home, but that I hoped soon to go and see you. So she sent you her love"---- "Oh, how nice!" exclaimed Lizzie. "Wasn't it? And then she made a certain little speech; I won't repeat it, or we shall have Miss Cooper talking about your blushes again." "I know," cried the lady in question: "she said she was very"---- "Very what?" said Lizzie. "Very h-a-n-d----what every one says." "Very handy?" asked Lizzie. "I'm sure no one ever said that." "Of course," said Bruce; "and I answered what every one answers." "Have you seen Mrs. Littlefield lately?" "Several times. I called on her the day before I left town, to see if she had any messages for you." "Oh, thank you! I hope she's well." "Oh, she's as jolly as ever. She sent you her love, and hoped you would come back to Leatherborough very soon again. I told her, that, however it might be with the first message, the second should be a joint one from both of us." "You're very kind. I should like very much to go again.--Do you like Mrs. Littlefield?" "Like her? Yes. Don't you? She's thought a very pleasing woman." "Oh, she's very nice.--I don't think she has much conversation." "Ah, I'm afraid you mean she doesn't backbite. We've always found plenty to talk about." "That's a very significant tone. What, for instance?" "Well, we _have_ talked about Miss Crowe." "Oh, you have? Do you call that having plenty to talk about?" "We _have_ talked about Mr. Bruce,--haven't we, Elizabeth?" said Miss Cooper, who had her own notion of being agreeable. It was not an altogether bad notion, perhaps; but Bruce found her interruptions rather annoying, and insensibly allowed them to shorten his visit. Yet, as it was, he sat till eleven o'clock,--a stay quite unprecedented at Glenham. When he left the house, he went splashing down the road with a very elastic tread, springing over the starlit puddles, and trolling out some sentimental ditty. He reached the inn, and went up to his sister's sitting-room. "Why, Robert, where have you been all this while?" said Miss Bruce. "At Dr. Cooper's." "Dr. Cooper's? I should think you had! Who's Dr. Cooper?" "Where Miss Crowe's staying." "Miss Crowe? Ah, Mrs. Littlefield's
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