ank jealousy. What right can you have to
ask me whether I shall take any man or no man? The chances are that I
shall remain as I am till I'm carried to my grave; but I'm not going
to give any pledge about it to you or to any one."

"You don't know that man, Mrs Greenow; you don't, indeed. I tell it
you as your friend. Does not it stand to reason, when he has got
nothing in the world, that he must be a beggar? It's all very well
saying that when a man is courting a lady, he shouldn't say much
about his money; but you won't make me believe that any man will make
a good husband who hasn't got a shilling. And for lies, there's no
beating him!"

"Why, then, has he been such a friend of yours?"

"Well, because I've been foolish. I took up with him just because he
looked pleasant, I suppose."

"And you want to prevent me from doing the same thing."

"If you were to marry him, Mrs Greenow, it's my belief I should do
him a mischief; it is, really. I don't think I could stand it;--a
mean, skulking beggar! I suppose I'd better go now?"

"Certainly, if that's the way you choose to talk about my friends."

"Friends, indeed! Well, I won't say any more at present. I suppose if
I was to talk for ever it wouldn't be any good?"

"Come and talk to Kate Vavasor for ever, Mr Cheesacre."

To this he made no reply, but went forth from the house, and got
his gig, and drove himself home to Oileymead, thinking of his
disappointment with all the bitterness of a young lover. "I didn't
ever think I should ever care so much about anything," he said, as he
took himself up to bed that night.

That evening Captain Bellfield did call in the Close, as he had said
he would do, but he was not admitted. "Her mistress was very bad with
a headache," Jeannette said.

CHAPTER XLVIII

Preparations for Lady Monk's Party

Early in April, the Easter recess being all over, Lady Monk gave
a grand party in London. Lady Monk's town house was in Gloucester
Square. It was a large mansion, and Lady Monk's parties in London
were known to be very great affairs. She usually gave two or three in
the season, and spent a large portion of her time and energy in so
arranging matters that her parties should be successful. As this was
her special line in life, a failure would have been very distressing
to her;--and we may also say very disgraceful, taking into
consideration, as we should do in forming our judgement on the
subject, the very large sums of Sir