dant, he expressed
his opinion that his future brother-in-law was a muff.

"A muff--I believe you too. What do you think now? I have been with
him and Nearthewinde in Barchester these three days past, looking up
the electors' wives and daughters, and that kind of thing."

"I say, if there is any fun in it you might as well take me with
you."

"Oh, there is not much fun; they are mostly so slobbered and dirty. A
sharp fellow in Nearthewinde, and knows what he is about well."

"Does he look up the wives and daughters too?"

"Oh, he goes on every tack, just as it's wanted. But there was
Moffat, yesterday, in a room behind the milliner's shop near
Cuthbert's Gate; I was with him. The woman's husband is one of the
choristers and an elector, you know, and Moffat went to look for his
vote. Now, there was no one there when we got there but the three
young women, the wife, that is, and her two girls--very pretty women
they are too."

"I say, George, I'll go and get the chorister's vote for Moffat; I
ought to do it as he's to be my brother-in-law."

"But what do you think Moffat said to the women?"

"Can't guess--he didn't kiss any of them, did he?"

"Kiss any of them? No; but he begged to give them his positive
assurance as a gentleman, that if he was returned to Parliament he
would vote for an extension of the franchise, and the admission of
the Jews into Parliament."

"Well, he is a muff!" said Frank.

CHAPTER XVI

Miss Dunstable

At last the great Miss Dunstable came. Frank, when he heard that
the heiress had arrived, felt some slight palpitation at his heart.
He had not the remotest idea in the world of marrying her; indeed,
during the last week past, absence had so heightened his love for
Mary Thorne that he was more than ever resolved that he would never
marry any one but her. He knew that he had made her a formal offer
for her hand, and that it behoved him to keep to it, let the charms
of Miss Dunstable be what they might; but, nevertheless, he was
prepared to go through a certain amount of courtship, in obedience
to his aunt's behests, and he felt a little nervous at being brought
up in that way, face to face, to do battle with two hundred thousand
pounds.

"Miss Dunstable has arrived," said his aunt to him, with great
complacency, on his return from an electioneering visit to the
beauties of Barchester which he made with his cousin George on the
day after the conversation which was repeated a