ittlebath. It was astonishing how this affair
of Miss Todd's reconciled her to her future home.

And then, when she was thus tranquil, thus resigned, thus all but
happy, came this tremendous letter, upsetting her peace of mind, and
throwing her into a new maze of difficulties.

She had never said to herself at any time that if Sir Lionel did
propose she would accept him. She had never questioned herself as to
the probability of such an event. That she would have accepted him a
fortnight ago, there can be no doubt; but what was she to do now?

It was not only that Sir Lionel had made another tender of his hand
to another lady ten or twelve days since, but to this must be added
the fact that all Littlebath knew that he had done so. Miss Todd,
after the first ebullition of her comic spleen, had not said much
about it; but Miss P. Gauntlet's tongue had not been idle. She,
perhaps, had told it only to the godly; but the godly, let them be
ever so exclusive, must have some intercourse with the wicked world;
and thus every lady in Littlebath now knew all about it. And then
there were other difficulties. That whispered conversation still rang
in her ears. She was not quite sure how far it might be her mission
to reclaim such a man as Sir Lionel--this new Sir Lionel whom Miss
Todd had described. And then, too, he was in want of money. Why, she
was in want of money herself!

But was there not something also to be said on the other side? It is
reported that unmarried ladies such as Miss Baker generally regret
the forlornness of their own condition. If so, the fault is not
their own, but must be attributed to the social system to which they
belong. The English world is pleased to say that an unmarried lady
past forty has missed her hit in life--has omitted to take her tide
at the ebb; and what can unmarried ladies do but yield to the world's
dictum? That the English world may become better informed, and learn
as speedily as may be to speak with more sense on the subject, let us
all pray.

But, in the meantime, the world's dictum was strong at Littlebath,
and did influence this dear lady. She would prefer the name of Lady
Bertram to that of Miss Baker for the remainder of the term of years
allotted to her. It would please her to walk into a room as a married
woman, and to quit herself of that disgrace, which injustice and
prejudice, and the folly of her own sex rather than of the other, had
so cruelly attached to her present p