tically, "no wonder you did not find her very bright; there is nothing in the world that she hates so much." "I told her how ill I thought her looking," goes on the visitor comfortably, rubbing her knees, advanced in close proximity to the fire. "She tells me that it is the climate; that it is killing her by inches. She seems to have her heart set upon going to the Riviera; why does not she go ?" with another look of acute inquisitiveness darted at her two companions. "She spoke of there being some tiresome hitch-something in the way; what is it— eh ?” "We cannot bear to go so far away from you," replies Sarah impudently, but with a nervous laugh and look towards her sister; "that is it." But a curiosity so robust as Miss Watson's is not to be blunted by a jest. That great Toledo blade is not to be turned aside by a light rapier. "No question of £ s. d., eh?" says she persistently; "the Riviera grows dearer every year! No? Anything about either of you, then?" trying to get a better idea of Belinda than the rather drooped nape of her white neck and one homespun shoulder afford; "any little-little entanglement, eh ?” "You have hit it!" cries Sarah jeeringly; "it is useless to try and conceal anything from you we are endeavouring to arrange a marriage between me and the Archbishop of Canterbury; and as he cannot conveniently leave his see, we think it as well that I should remain in the neighbourhood." It is obvious that nothing is to be made of Sarah; the visitor turns her attention towards the other sister. "Any more Latin exercises, Belinda ?" she asks in a rallying voice; "has Professor Forth been helping you to do any more Latin exercises? does he often come? do you see much of him? does he ever ask you to go down to Oxbridge, eh ?" To these questions Belinda's answer is so unready that her junior has again to come to her aid. "Of course," she answers ironically; "but he says he will not have us, unless we bring you too." "As to that," replies Miss Watson, her rhinoceros-hide quite unpunctured by the pricks of this angry persiflage, "I can tell you I have a very good mind to take a run down there. What do you say to our making up a party? we would make him give us luncheon and take us about; they are always delighted to give one luncheon and take one about; and if we can get hold of Rivers, we will make him come too." She looks triumphantly round to collect the suffrages of her companions as to this project; but neither is equal to giving utterance to any opinion upon it. Apropos of Rivers," continues the other, too happy in the sound of her own voice to miss the lacking response, and addressing the observation more especially to Belinda, "a very odd thing happened to I had not gone five yards from your me. house the other day, before I met him. I asked him at once whether he was on his way to call upon you." "And he said what?" asks Sarah, trying to speak lightly, but with a hurry in her voice that she cannot still. "He said "No."" "That answer had at least the merit of brevity," replies Sarah, laughing forcedly and changing her position so as to interpose the slight bulwark of her girlish figure between her sister and their guest. "I asked him why not. I said, 'Do go; they expect you.' "That did not show a rigorous attention to truth on your part," rejoins Sarah sharply "we did not expect him. But what did he say to that? was his answer marked by the same courteous diffuseness as before ?" "He did not say anything; he walked on very fast and hailed a hansom; but I should not wonder if he did come after all," consolingly. "I called out to him, just as he was driving off, to be sure not to forget. |