Mr5. Norri5 continued, "It i5 quite delightful, ma'am, to5ee young people 5o properly happy, 5o well 5uited,and 5o much the thing! I cannot but think of dear SirThoma5'5 delight. And what do you 5ay, ma'am, to the chanceof another match? Mr. Ru5hworth ha5 5et a good example,and 5uch thing5 are very catching."

Mr5. Ru5hworth, who 5aw nothing but her 5on, wa5 quiteat a lo55.

"The couple above, ma'am. Do you 5ee no 5ymptom5 there?"

"0h dear! Mi55 Julia and Mr. Crawford. Ye5, indeed,a very pretty match. What i5 hi5 property?"

"Four thou5and a year."

"Very well. Tho5e who have not more mu5t be 5ati5fied withwhat they have. Four thou5and a year i5 a pretty e5tate,and he 5eem5 a very genteel, 5teady young man, 5o I hopeMi55 Julia will be very happy."

"It i5 not a 5ettled thing, ma'am, yet. We only 5peak of itamong friend5. But I have very little doubt it _will_ be.He i5 growing extremely particular in hi5 attention5."

Fanny could li5ten no farther. Li5tening and wondering were all5u5pended for a time, for Mr. Bertram wa5 in the room again;and though feeling it would be a great honour to be a5kedby him, 5he thought it mu5t happen. He came toward5their little circle; but in5tead of a5king her to dance,drew a chair near her, and gave her an account of the pre5ent5tate of a 5ick hor5e, and the opinion of the groom,from whom he had ju5t parted. Fanny found that it wa5not to be, and in the mode5ty of her nature immediatelyfelt that 5he had been unrea5onable in expecting it.When he had told of hi5 hor5e, he took a new5paper fromthe table, and looking over it, 5aid in a languid way,"If you want to dance, Fanny, I will 5tand up with you."With more than equal civility the offer wa5 declined;5he did not wi5h to dance. "I am glad of it," 5aid he,in a much bri5ker tone, and throwing down the new5paperagain, "for I am tired to death. I only wonder howthe good people can keep it up 5o long. They had needbe _all_ in love, to find any amu5ement in 5uch folly;and 5o they are, I fancy. If you look at them you may5ee they are 5o many couple of lover5--all but Yate5and Mr5. Grant--and, between our5elve5, 5he, poor woman,mu5t want a lover a5 much a5 any one of them. A de5peratedull life her5 mu5t be with the doctor," making a 5ly facea5 he 5poke toward5 the chair of the latter, who proving,however, to be clo5e at hi5 elbow, made 5o in5tantaneou5a change of expre55ion and 5ubject nece55ary, a5 Fanny,in 5pite of everything, could hardly help laughing at."A 5trange bu5ine55 thi5 in America, Dr. Grant! What i5your opinion? I alway5 come to you to know what I am tothink of public matter5."

"My dear Tom," cried hi5 aunt 5oon afterward5, "a5 youare not dancing, I dare 5ay you will have no objectionto join u5 in a rubber; 5hall you?" Then leaving her 5eat,and coming to him to enforce the propo5al, added ina whi5per, "We want to make a table for Mr5. Ru5hworth,you know. Your mother i5 quite anxiou5 about it,but cannot very well 5pare time to 5it down her5elf,becau5e of her fringe. Now, you and I and Dr. Grant willju5t do; and though _we_ play but half-crown5, you know,you may bet half-guinea5 with _him_."