trade as soon as the other."

"I cannot say that I think she showed either good feeling or good
taste," said Wilkinson, stiffly.

"Ah! my dear fellow, you do not know her. There was no bad taste in
it, as she said it. I would defy her to say anything in bad taste.
But, Arthur, that does not matter. I have told her that I should go
to the bar; and, as a man of honour, I must keep my word to her."

His cousin had not much inclination to lecture him. Wilkinson himself
was now a clergyman; but he had become so mainly because he had
failed in obtaining the power of following any other profession. He
would have gone to the bar had he been able; and felt himself by no
means called to rebuke Bertram for doing what he would fain have done
himself.

"But she has not accepted you, you say. Why should she be so
unwilling that you should take orders? Her anxiety on your behalf
tells a strong tale in your own favour."

"Ah! you say that because you do not understand her. She was able
to give me advice without giving the least shadow of encouragement.
Indeed, when she did advise me, I had not even told her that I loved
her. But the fact is, I cannot bear this state any longer. I will
know the worst at any rate. I wish you could see her, Arthur; you
would not wonder that I should be uneasy."

And so he went on with a lover's customary eloquence till a late hour
in the night. Wilkinson was all patience; but about one o'clock he
began to yawn, and then they went to bed. Early on the following
morning, Bertram started for Littlebath.

The Littlebath world lives mostly in lodgings, and Miss Baker and
Caroline lived there as the world mostly does. There are three sets
of persons who resort to Littlebath: there is the heavy fast, and the
lighter fast set; there is also the pious set. Of the two fast sets
neither is scandalously fast. The pace is never very awful. Of the
heavies, it may be said that the gentlemen generally wear their coats
padded, are frequently seen standing idle about the parades and
terraces, that they always keep a horse, and trot about the roads a
good deal when the hounds go out. The ladies are addicted to whist
and false hair, but pursue their pleasures with a discreet economy.
Of the lighter fast set, assembly balls are the ruling passion; but
even in these there is no wild extravagance. The gentlemen of this
division keep usually two horses, on the sale of one of which their
mind is much bent. They drink ple