never prayed for himself or anybody else. He held that
this world was in a sufficiently satisfactory condition, and advised
that men should let well alone, and contended that any attempt to
interfere with its arrangements in the way of prayer was quite
indefensible. He did indeed read his prayers in church on Sundays, in a
very loud and distinct voice, to the great annoyance and distraction,
not to say irritation, of all who sat within fifty yards of him, but
this he regarded as a commendable institution of the country. But to
return to Miss Flouncer.

This state of affairs between Sir Richard and herself did not augur much
for her prospects; but then she was a very strong-minded woman, and had
hopes; whereas Sir Richard was a very weak-minded man, and had no hopes
of any kind worth mentioning, being perfectly satisfied--good, easy
man--with things as they then stood.

Miss Martha Puff was niece to Miss Flouncer--age apparently sixteen. It
struck me, as I sat looking at her placid face, that this young lady was
well named. Her pink round visage was puffed up with something so soft
that I could scarcely venture to call it fat. Her round soft arms were
so puffy to look at, that one could not help fearing that an accidental
prick from a pin would burst the skin and let them out. She seemed so
like trifle in her pink muslin dress, that I could imagine a puff of
wind blowing her away altogether. She could not be said to be puffed up
with conceit, poor girl; but she dined almost exclusively on puff paste,
to the evident satisfaction of my gallant son Gildart, who paid her
marked attention during dinner.

Miss Puff never spoke except when spoken to, never asked for anything,
never remarked upon anything, did not seem to care for anything, (puff
paste excepted), and never thought of anything, as far as I could judge
from the expression of her countenance. Gildart might as well have had
a wax doll to entertain.

"To what unfortunate piece of good fortune does your brother refer, Miss
Stuart?" asked Sir Richard when Miss Peppy had concluded her
observations in regard to it.

"Is it possible that you have not heard of it?" exclaimed Miss Peppy in
surprise. "Why, the town has been ringing with it for a fortnight at
least, and those odious creatures, the gossips, (who never come near me,
however, because they know I will not tolerate them), have got up all
sorts of wild stories, showing that the man must have got the