off Mrs Bust's tray, and went on talking shop. I
don't want to decry Jessica. She's worth all the rest put together.
While they gabble, she does things. If Mrs Carter (who hates the sight
of her, by the way) and the rest of them would only let us alone!

"So the engagement at H---- is broken off! It must be a blow to poor
Holt, but I never thought him suited to her. Who is, I wonder? What a
madness it was to think that she and I could pull together. Imagine
that little teasing, irresponsible child in such a box as this, bored
to death by these interminable women! For all her naughtiness and her
folly she was wiser than I. But I am wiser now.

"Of course, if you hear of any fresh engagements or new freaks of the
young lady, you will let me know at once.

"Mrs Bust was insolent about that cup of tea. I greatly hope Jessica
did not notice the way she banged the tray down. She said afterwards
that no _single_ lady should come to a _single_ gentleman's rooms,
let alone take a meal with him. If there were other rooms to be had I
would not put up with this creature. My dear Charles, I'm getting to
be, in reality, what I've had the credit for being all along--a
woman-hater.

"I go a good bit to Mrs Carter's. Her house is comfortable, and she is
an amusing creature. Sees jokes, and cheers one up. She teases me about
my beset condition, and tries to get me to _say_ things. She calls me
Job, and the Fifteen my comforters. Neither witty nor appropriate, but
it pleases Mrs Carter. She says the least I can do is to give the nine
donors of the nine tea-cloths tea. I frankly told her of the difficulty
with Bust, who is inexorable on the matter of etiquette. It will be all
right if she comes, Mrs Carter says. She is so set on it, I've had to
give in. I've asked them. They're coming on Thursday.

"Oh, my dear old man, how my head aches!

"Mrs Carter keeps sending me up chickens, jellies, game, and things.
She says I've shrunk three stone since I came. It's love, she says, and
I shan't be all right till I'm married to Jessica.

"What rot women talk!

"Can this be true? She declares to me that the vicar told her in
confidence he would soon be losing his daughter from his house, if not
from his parish.

"You see the inference. There is not another even faintly eligible
bachelor in the whole _charming_ place. (Use your own epithet in place
of the underlined word. I should rather like to hear you do it).

"I said, straight out, sh