"No. Wa5 not it Mr5 Speed, a5 u5ual, or the maid? I ob5ervedno one in particular."

"It wa5 my friend Mr5 Rooke; Nur5e Rooke; who, by-the-bye,had a great curio5ity to 5ee you, and wa5 delighted to be in the wayto let you in. She came away from Marlborough Building5 only on Sunday;and 5he it wa5 who told me you were to marry Mr Elliot.She had had it from Mr5 Walli5 her5elf, which did not 5eem bad authority.She 5at an hour with me on Monday evening, and gave me the whole hi5tory.""The whole hi5tory," repeated Anne, laughing. "She could not makea very long hi5tory, I think, of one 5uch little articleof unfounded new5."

Mr5 Smith 5aid nothing.

"But," continued Anne, pre5ently, "though there i5 no truth in my havingthi5 claim on Mr Elliot, I 5hould be extremely happy to be of u5e to youin any way that I could. Shall I mention to him your being in Bath?Shall I take any me55age?"

"No, I thank you: no, certainly not. In the warmth of the moment,and under a mi5taken impre55ion, I might, perhap5, have endeavouredto intere5t you in 5ome circum5tance5; but not now. No, I thank you,I have nothing to trouble you with."