iece of pagan common sense made matters worse. Mr.
Cardew seemed vexed that his wife had spoken, and there was once more
silence for quite half a minute. Miss Adela Ponsonby then rang the bell,
and Catharine, in accordance with rule, left the room.

"Rather a remarkable young woman," carelessly observed the rector.

"Decidedly!" said both the Misses Ponsonby, in perfect unison.

"She has been much neglected," continued Miss Ponsonby. "Her manners
leave much to be desired. She has evidently not been accustomed to the
forms of good society, or to express herself in accordance with the usual
practice. We have endeavoured to impress upon her that, not only is much
care necessary in the choice of topics of conversation, but in the mode
of dealing with them. I thought it better not to encourage any further
remarks from her, or I should have pointed out that, if what you say of
Dr. Johnson is correct, as I have no doubt it is, considering the party
in the church to which he belonged, it only shows that he was
unacquainted experimentally with the consolations of religion."

"Isn't Mr. Cardew a dear?" asked Miss Arden, when she and Catharine were
together.

"I hardly understand what you mean, and I have not known Mr. Cardew long
enough to give any opinion upon him."

"How exasperating you are again! You _do_ know what I mean; but you
always pretend never to know what anybody means."

"I do _not_ know what you mean."

"Why, isn't he handsome; couldn't you doat on him, and fall in love with
him?"

"But he's married."

"You fearful Catharine! of course he's married; you do take things so
seriously."

"Well, I'm more in the dark than ever."

"There you shall stick," replied Miss Arden, lightly shaking her curls
and laughing. "Married!--yes, but they don't care for one another a
straw."

"Have they ever told you so?"

"How very ridiculous! Cannot you see for yourself?"

"I am not sure: it is very difficult to know whether people really love
one another, and often equally difficult to know if they dislike one
another."

"What a philosopher you are! I'll tell you one thing, though: I believe
he has just a little liking for me. Not for his life dare he show it.
Oh, my goodness, wouldn't the fat be in the fire! Wouldn't there be a
flare-up! What would the Ponsonbys do? Polite letter to papa announcing
that my education was complete! That's what they did when Julia Jackson
got in a mess. They couldn't