y, no doubt," said FRED.

"Nonsense!"

"A solemn truth. Ah! my dear, it's a great comfort for timid men that
beauty, like the elephant, doesn't know its strength. Otherwise, how it
would trample on us! It's a fact, LOTTY, if you had only known half your
power, you'd never have married me. Certainly not. But then women never
do. Looking-glasses are thrown away upon 'em, poor things. When you
consented to take me, LOTTY, I don't know that I didn't feel quite
crushed by your condescension. Quite crushed. Yes: the last knowledge a
woman ever acquires is a proper sense of the power of her own beauty.
Otherwise, LOTTY, they'd never throw it away upon us; but live and die
like the roses. Don't you think they would? Like the roses?"

I said nothing, but was just gently pulling his ear, when the church
bells struck out.

"If it isn't church-time," said I; "but I'm drest. Nothing, but my
bonnet."

"Well, LOTTY, you can go without me; yes, you"--and then he paused, and
looked at me, I thought so strangely, and said--"no, my love: you shall
not go alone. We'll go together." With this, he left the room; and a
sudden shadow seemed to fall about me.

The next moment, the servant introduced "MR. TRUEPENNY." With his face
the truth flashed upon me that--that--I didn't know what. But,
instantly, I felt resolved to find it out; and so, in a minute, was in
my very best spirits.

"FREDERICK," said I, "will be here directly. He's preparing for church."

"Church," said MR. TRUEPENNY, as if the word half stuck between his
lips.

"Don't you ever go to church, MR. TRUEPENNY? I mean"--

"Always," said he. "But the fact is, when one comes to the sea-side"--

"PETER'S boat," I observed very seriously, "was at the sea-side."

"To be sure, certainly," said he; then he looked at the toe of his boot,
and then at the pattern of the carpet; in fact, anywhere but at me. Then
he coughed, and said--for all the world as if he was talking of
prawns--"I'm told there's very good preaching about here."

"I should hope, MR. TRUEPENNY, that there is good preaching everywhere;
that is, if persons are only disposed to listen to it." MR.
TRUEPENNY--his eye still on his boot--bowed. "I hope," said I, "you will
accompany us to church?"

"What! I?" cried the man, really alarmed.

"To be sure: why not?" said FRED, coming into the room. "And then, TOM,
we'll take a walk--LOTTY isn't equal to the fatigue"--how did he know
that?--"and then we'll all dine,