its
fingers to its lips, shrugged up its worldly shoulders, and merely
remarked,--

"Always _was_ very odd, poor woman! Hers has been a curious
history--little cracked, I think, now--but what a handsome creature
she was years ago, when I left school, before _you_ were born, my
boy!"

Whatever may have been her carelessness of appearances and levity of
manner, I think it was never for an instant supposed that she liked
any human being half so much as she hated Sir Guy. Then, again, Sir
Guy and Frank were fast friends, almost inseparable. They say Frank
kept things right between the ill-assorted pair, and that his good
offices had many a time interposed to prevent scenes of abuse and
violence such as must have ended in a separation at least. I was not
quite clear that Frank's regard for the coach-driving baronet was
alone at the bottom of all this friendship. I cannot conceive two men
much worse suited to each other; but Frank vowed, when I
cross-questioned him on the subject, which I thought I had a right to
do, that he was under the greatest possible obligations to Sir Guy,
that the latter had even lent him money, and stood by him when such
assistance was most valuable; and that he looked upon _him_ as _a
brother_, just as he looked upon her ladyship as a sister. It seems to
have been quite a family party altogether. Frank warmed with the
topic.

"You will hear me talked about with all sorts of people, Kate," said
he, as we took about our twentieth turn, each of which I had protested
should be _the last_; "but the world is so officious and
mischief-making, you must never believe a word it says. They know I am
ruined, and they choose to decide that I must be making up to some
wealthy young lady. As if _I_ was a man to marry for money; as if I
cared for anything on earth but _one_ person, and _that_ for the sake
of her own dear self alone! You ask _me_ about Miss Molasses; you
declare I am continually riding with her, and dancing with her, and
what you ladies call 'paying her attention'--that yellow lackadaisical
miss! Do you think I would marry her if she had half a million? Do you
think I could stand those sentimental airs, that smattering of
learning, and affectation of being poetical, and romantic, and
blue--I, who have only lately learned what a woman should be, and what
a treasure such a woman is? No, no; I have known the whole family from
a child; I can't quite stand the lady part of it, but old Molasses is