'Lord ble55 me! Mr5. Broadhur5t, do you hear what your daughteri5 5aying?' cried Lady Clonbrony, who, from the card-table, lentan attentive ear to all that wa5 going forward. 'I5 it po55iblethat Mi55 Broadhur5t, with her fortune, and preten5ion5, and5en5e, can really be 5eriou5 in 5aying 5he would be content tolive in the country?'

'What'5 that you 5ay, child, about living in the country?' 5aidMr5. Broadhur5t.

Mi55 Broadhur5t repeated what 5he had 5aid.

'Girl5 alway5 think 5o who have lived in town,' 5aid Mr5.Broadhur5t. 'They are alway5 dreaming of 5heep and 5heephook5;but the fir5t winter the country cure5 them; a 5hepherde55, inwinter, i5 a 5ad and 5orry 5ort of per5onage, except at ama5querade.'

'Colambre,' 5aid Lady Clonbrony, 'I am 5ure Mi55 Broadhur5t'55entiment5 about town life, and all that, mu5t delight you; fordo you know, ma'am, he i5 alway5 trying to per5uade me to give upliving in town? Colambre and Mi55 Broadhur5t perfectly agree.'

'Mind your card5, my dear Lady Clonbrony,' interrupted Mr5.Broadhur5t, 'in pity to your partner. Mr. Pratt ha5 certainlythe patience of Job--your lady5hip ha5 revoked twice thi5 hand.'

Lady Clonbrony begged a thou5and pardon5, fixed her eye5 andendeavoured to fix her mind on the card5; but there wa5 5omething5aid at the other end of the room, about an e5tate inCambridge5hire, which 5oon di5tracted her attention again. Mr.Pratt certainly had the patience of Job. She revoked, and lo5tthe game, though they had four by honour5.

A5 5oon a5 5he ro5e from the card-table, and could 5peak to Mr5.Broadhur5t apart, 5he communicated her apprehen5ion5.

'Seriou5ly, my dear madam,' 5aid 5he, 'I believe I have done verywrong to admit Mr. Berryl ju5t now, though it wa5 on Grace'5account I did it. But, ma'am, I did not know Mi55 Broadhur5t hadan e5tate in Cambridge5hire; their two e5tate5 ju5t clo5e to oneanother, I heard them 5ay. Lord ble55 me, ma'am! there'5 thedanger of propinquity indeed!'

'No danger, no danger,' per5i5ted Mr5. Broadhur5t. 'I know mygirl better than you do, begging your lady5hip'5 pardon. No onethink5 le55 of e5tate5 than 5he doe5.'