id Carry Spalding.

CHAPTER XLVII.

ABOUT FISHING, AND NAVIGATION, AND HEAD-DRESSES.

[Illustration]

The feud between Miss Stanbury and Mr. Gibson raged violently in
Exeter, and produced many complications which were very difficult
indeed of management. Each belligerent party felt that a special
injury had been inflicted upon it. Mr. Gibson was quite sure that he
had been grossly misused by Miss Stanbury the elder, and strongly
suspected that Miss Stanbury the younger had had a hand in this
misconduct. It had been positively asserted to him,--at least so he
thought, but in this was probably in error,--that the lady would
accept him if he proposed to her. All Exeter had been made aware of
the intended compact. He, indeed, had denied its existence to Miss
French, comforting himself, as best he might, with the reflection
that all is fair in love and war; but when he counted over his
injuries he did not think of this denial. All Exeter, so to say, had
known of it. And yet, when he had come with his proposal, he had been
refused without a moment's consideration, first by the aunt, and then
by the niece;--and, after that, had been violently abused, and at
last turned out of the house! Surely, no gentleman had ever before
been subjected to ill-usage so violent! But Miss Stanbury the elder
was quite as assured that the injury had been done to her. As to the
matter of the compact itself, she knew very well that she had been as
true as steel. She had done everything in her power to bring about
the marriage. She had been generous in her offers of money. She had
used all her powers of persuasion on Dorothy, and she had given
every opportunity to Mr. Gibson. It was not her fault if he had not
been able to avail himself of the good things which she had put in
his way. He had first been, as she thought, ignorant and arrogant,
fancying that the good things ought to be made his own without any
trouble on his part;--and then awkward, not knowing how to take the
trouble when trouble was necessary. And as to that matter of abusive
language and turning out of the house, Miss Stanbury was quite
convinced that she was sinned against, and not herself the sinner.
She declared to Martha, more than once, that Mr. Gibson had used such
language to her that, coming out of a clergyman's mouth, it had quite
dismayed her. Martha, who knew her mistress, probably felt that Mr.
Gibson had at least received as good as he gave; but she had