law, Colonel Crusty, who lives in the
town of Athenbury, is a military man--"

"So I should suppose, ma'am," observed Mrs Niven, "he being called
Kurnel, w'ich is an army name."

"Ah, yes, to be sure, I forgot that; well, it is two hours by train to
Athenbury, which is a dirty place, as all seaports are--full of fishy
and sailory smells, though I've never heard that such smells are bad for
the health; at least the Sanitary Commissioners say that if all the
filth were cleaned away the effluvia would be less offensive, and--
and--. But, as I was saying, for those reasons I mean to pay my
brother-in-law a short visit."

"Beg parding, ma'am," said Mrs Niven, "but, if I may remark so, you
'ave not mentioned your reasons as yet."

"Oh, to be sure," said the baffled Miss Peppy, who had weakly hoped that
she could escape with an indefinite explanation; "I meant to say, (and
you'll be sure not to tell, Niven), that the Colonel has a remarkably
pretty daughter, with _such_ a sweet temper, and heiress to all her
father's property; though I never knew rightly how much it was, for the
Crustys are very close, and since their mother died--"

"Whose mother, ma'am? the Colonel's or his daughter's?"

"His daughter's, of course--Bella, she is called. Since she died, (not
Bella, but her mother), since then I've never heard anything about the
family; but now that Bella is grown up, I mean to get her and Kenneth to
see each other, and I have no doubt that they will fall in love, which
would be very nice, for you know Kenneth will have a good income one of
those days, and it's as well that the young people should be--be married
if they can, and indeed I see nothing in the way; though, after all,
they would probably be happier if they were _not_ to marry, for I don't
believe the state to be a happy one, and that's the reason, Niven, that
I never entered into it myself; but it's too late now, though I cannot
conceive why it should ever be too late, for if people can be happy at
all, any time, what's to hinder?"

Miss Peppy paused abruptly here, and Mrs Niven, supposing that she
awaited a reply, said--

"Nothing whatever, ma'am."

"Exactly so, Niven, that's just what I think. Kenneth is young and tall
and handsome, Bella is young and small and pretty, and that's the reason
the match is so suitable, though, to be sure, there are many people
similarly situated whose union would not be suitable; dear me, this
world of perplexities! N