like?" said Mrs. Kimble, laughing above her
double chin with much good-humour, aside to Mrs. Crackenthorp, who
blinked and nodded, and seemed to intend a smile, which, by the
correlation of forces, went off in small twitchings and noises.

"I suppose that's the sort of tit-for-tat adopted in your profession,
Kimble, if you've a grudge against a patient," said the rector.

"Never do have a grudge against our patients," said Mr. Kimble, "except
when they leave us: and then, you see, we haven't the chance of
prescribing for 'em. Ha, Miss Nancy," he continued, suddenly skipping
to Nancy's side, "you won't forget your promise? You're to save a dance
for me, you know."

"Come, come, Kimble, don't you be too for'ard," said the Squire. "Give
the young uns fair-play. There's my son Godfrey'll be wanting to have
a round with you if you run off with Miss Nancy. He's bespoke her for
the first dance, I'll be bound. Eh, sir! what do you say?" he
continued, throwing himself backward, and looking at Godfrey. "Haven't
you asked Miss Nancy to open the dance with you?"

Godfrey, sorely uncomfortable under this significant insistence about
Nancy, and afraid to think where it would end by the time his father
had set his usual hospitable example of drinking before and after
supper, saw no course open but to turn to Nancy and say, with as little
awkwardness as possible--

"No; I've not asked her yet, but I hope she'll consent--if somebody
else hasn't been before me."

"No, I've not engaged myself," said Nancy, quietly, though blushingly.
(If Mr. Godfrey founded any hopes on her consenting to dance with him,
he would soon be undeceived; but there was no need for her to be
uncivil.)

"Then I hope you've no objections to dancing with me," said Godfrey,
beginning to lose the sense that there was anything uncomfortable in
this arrangement.

"No, no objections," said Nancy, in a cold tone.

"Ah, well, you're a lucky fellow, Godfrey," said uncle Kimble; "but
you're my godson, so I won't stand in your way. Else I'm not so very
old, eh, my dear?" he went on, skipping to his wife's side again.
"You wouldn't mind my having a second after you were gone--not if I
cried a good deal first?"

"Come, come, take a cup o' tea and stop your tongue, do," said
good-humoured Mrs. Kimble, feeling some pride in a husband who must be
regarded as so clever and amusing by the company generally. If he had
only not been irritable at cards!

While