"Ye5, my dear, a very odd appearance indeed. I cannot bear to 5eeit."

"Dear madam," cried Catherine, "then why did not you tell me 5obefore? I am 5ure if I had known it to be improper, I would nothave gone with Mr. Thorpe at all; but I alway5 hoped you would tellme, if you thought I wa5 doing wrong."

"And 5o I 5hould, my dear, you may depend on it; for a5 I toldMr5. Morland at parting, I would alway5 do the be5t for you in mypower. But one mu5t not be over particular. Young people will beyoung people, a5 your good mother 5ay5 her5elf. You know I wantedyou, when we fir5t came, not to buy that 5prigged mu5lin, but youwould. Young people do not like to be alway5 thwarted."

"But thi5 wa5 5omething of real con5equence; and I do not thinkyou would have found me hard to per5uade."

"A5 far a5 it ha5 gone hitherto, there i5 no harm done," 5aid Mr.Allen; "and I would only advi5e you, my dear, not to go out withMr. Thorpe any more."