"An old impudent fellow of the name of Jeeks wishes to force us into a
sale. I will see him and all his race at the bottom of the Red Sea
first."

"Would you sell it then?" she said.

"No--but, fair Lucy Ashton, why do you ask?"

"Because if you parted with one brick of the old house, one blade of
grass of the old park, one leaf of one old tree in the old wood, our
acquaintance would end as rapidly as it began."

"Then it shall suffer no decay," I said, and took her hand, which she
held out to me with honest warmth; "and now let me find out, if I can,
who it is that gives me such admirable advice. I called on Mr Dobble
yesterday."

"He told you a great many things, by the by, did he?" she said.

"You know him, I see, and he knows _you_." As I said this, I looked with
the air of a man who has discovered a portentous secret; but she bore my
look with the same celestial open smile as ever.

"What a happy man he must be in knowing so first-rate a parishioner. Did
he boast much of our acquaintance?"

"He seemed to know more of your brothers and sisters," I said.

"Oh, which of them did he like best? How many did he say I had?"

This was a puzzler; for I was quite undecided whether to consider her a
daughter of the house of Juffles with fourteen children, or Poggs with
only two.

"Amy seemed a great favourite," I replied.

"But, my brothers--what did he say of my brothers?"

"He said--but perhaps it was in confidence--so I will not mention all he
told me. He spoke highly of the whole family of Mr Poggs."

"And very properly too. We are all pleasant people in this
neighbourhood; and, indeed, I wonder he can make any distinction in the
degrees of amiability between the Poggses, Juffleses, Higginsons,
Jeekses, Wilcoxes, and all the late and present occupiers of the
Rayleigh estates."

"Higginsons? Wilcoxes? he never mentioned them; but as to the Jeekses,
pray don't speak of those detestable wretches. I hope you despise young
Jeeks as heartily as I do."

"Not quite, perhaps."

"No?" I looked at her. Gracious powers! is it possible this beautiful
creature can be so blinded by the fortune of the wretched animal, as to
look upon him without disgust. "Are you intimate with him?" I enquired.

"Oh yes! we are all very social down here; no ceremony between
neighbours. He is a great sportsman."

"Oh, then, it must be your brothers that are his friends, not you!"

"I certainly don't go out shooting with him--in